Fall Into Darkness
by themindofmine
Summary: With Kenna's return everything should be right in the world but Eliot can't seem to feel something bigger is beyond the horizon, waiting for them.
1. Chapter 1

Fall Into Darkness

Eliot's Dream

Eliot Spencer always enjoyed the time after midnight and before dawn. It was a time not a lot of people were around. The quiet of the night relaxed him. He took a long drag of his beer and sat on the front porch. He went though stages, where alone was what he needed. It wasn't like it used to be. Seven years ago he was a man with a price on his head and a whole lot of past sins to atone for. He got a call a few days after his thirty-first birthday to do a job. Stealing some airplane plans with Hardison, Parker and Nate. Now years later along with Sophie they were still stealing but it was all for the greater good. He also found someone he thought he had lost. Long before Aimee and the others there had been McKenna Shane Hawks. She had been a shy waif of a girl when his sister Jodi had brought her home…thinking back it was almost thirty years ago. She had been seven. He had been nine. He fell in love with her over the years and when he left seven years later it had nearly killed them both.

"Hey, cowboy." The sound of her voice in the night sent a shiver down his spine.

"I was just thinkin' about you." She shut the screen door lightly. Shifting his leg he made room for her on his lap. Always obliging Kenna snuggled herself into him. Inhaling her scent Eliot pulled her closer. He never knew the smell of green tea and watermelon shampoo could be such a turn on.

"Good thoughts, I hope?"

"Nothing but." He kissed the top of her head. "Kids asleep?" It still felt kind of funny saying it but they had kids. Two of them. Faith was three and Chance was three months old today.

"Yeah, Talia's sleeping with Helen again." Eliot chuckled. Parker had gotten hooked on hippos when Kenna had been pregnant with Faith and got the little girl hooked on them too. Now it seems their German Sheppard was getting overly attached to his daughter's favorite.

"Maybe it's a good thing." Kenna closed her eyes and ran her hand down his arm.

"Maybe." He felt her relax against him. She knew he came out here to be alone. He had been restless all evening. After dinner she had taken the kids upstairs and let him unwind. That had been nearly five hours ago. He had gone for a ride into the woods, worked out, taken a shower and downed three beers yet he still couldn't shake the feeling he had deep in the pit of his stomach. "I just wanted to say good night." She whispered. He knew she hated going to bed alone just as much as she hated waking up alone. But she knew that sometimes he needed to time to himself.

"I'll be up in a little bit." Running one hand down her back he lifted her chin with the other and kissed her. She moved her hands to his face and deepened the kiss, her tongue invading his mouth. Kenna played dirty and tonight was no exception. Standing up she smiled.

"Don't be too long." She leaned over and kissed the top of his head. Opening the door the dog came outside. "Let Talia walk the parameter before you come up." She went into the house, closing the door tightly behind her.

"Looks like you and me are sleeping on the couch tonight girl." The dog looked at him and whined. "Okay, I'm sleeping on the couch." He rubbed the dog's ears. "Gehen, zu Fuß den Hof Talia." Telling the dog to take her walk Eliot watched the animal start at the porch and worked her way around the house. It would take her a good half hour to cover the ground she had to cover. Eliot lifted the bottle to his lips and took another long drag. Tomorrow they would head back to the city and start back to the life they had gotten used to. Nate had a whole lot of cases waiting for them back in Boston and he and Kenna knew that they had to get back.

The last few days had been nice. He took Faith horseback riding and they had all just gotten to know each other again. Damien Moreau had taken Kenna and faked her death. For seven months Eliot looked for her, not believing that she was really gone. Home now, they both had an uneasy feeling about things to come. Moreau was in prison awaiting extradition and Philip McClosky was dead so neither could put a finger on their paranoia. Eliot had nightmares more often then he would admit to but lately they had been coming hard a fast. He wasn't sure what it all meant. He knew Kenna felt his tension and it was weighing heavily on the both of them.

Five years ago Eliot wouldn't have believed he'd be where he was today. He had found a niche with Nate in the others, helping people when the law couldn't. Actually he had been proud of what they had accomplished over the years and he hadn't felt that way for a very long time. He was proud of what the team had done, proud of the life he was living and proud to be someone his wife and kids could depend on. This hadn't been his dream when he left Kentucky at sixteen, or when he joined the army two years later. It wasn't even the dream he had when Kenna walked back in his life four years ago. Now, standing here, he knew that dreams weren't made in the past. They developed with time, when people came into your life. The sound of Talia's paws on the porch broke Eliot out of his thoughts. He looked down at the dog.

"Oh, you my furry fraulein are in deep shit." The treasured Helen Hippo looked like it had been in a fight with the eighty pound Sheppard and lost. Downing the last of his beer he shook his head and reached down letting the dog drop the toy in his hand. Eliot let the dog in, shut and locked the door, set the alarm and headed to the mud room. Throwing the hippo into the washer Talia watched him, confused. "You know that's Faith's. She will hunt you down if it doesn't come clean." The dog looked at him then put her front paws on the washing machine to look where her friend had gone. "Not happening. Down." The dog took one last longing look at the purple hippo and obeyed. Throwing a load of darks in to complete the load he added soap and started the machine. "I'm sure she will let you play with it in the morning. Go, watch." He said in German and the dog didn't hesitate. She headed up the back stairs to watch over Faith and Chance. Grabbing two more beers he headed up too, hoping Kenna was in a forgiving mood.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

The room was illuminated dimly by the baseboard lighting. Eliot kicked off his boots and unbuttoned his shirt. He knew that his wife understood his need to be alone but today had been hard for her and he knew it. She had been taken from them for seven months and she still harbored some feelings of abandonment. Sliding off his jeans he sat on the bed and took off his watch and lay down next to his wife.

"Talia took Helen Hippo on her walk." He said softly, knowing she wasn't really asleep.

"That should go over big in the morning." Eliot felt her shift and then curl up against his chest. He groaned. She was completely naked. She was trying to kill him.

"I threw it in the washing machine with a load of jeans." Kenna ran her hand down his chest. "I'm sorry about today."

"No need to be sorry cowboy. I get it." Her leg ran down his. "We all need time to ourselves now and then." Her hand was moving down lower, grazing his ribs and tracing the puckered scars on his stomach. Kenna moved her hips, sliding her leg over his as her hand moved lower. She stopped at the curve of his hip and ran her fingers over the sensitive area between his hip and hardening manhood. "How long have you been having the nightmares?"

"A few weeks. I thought it was because I was missing you so much. Faith got knocked on the floor more than once."

"Have you had any since I got home?" Her fingers were moving over him and he was really losing all coherent thoughts.

"Last night." He ground out.

"Before or after we fucked on the basement stairs?" He looked down at her. Her brown eyes were dancing with mischief.

"Before." Leaning down, he kissed her. He had woken up on the couch in the basement. They had been watching a movie and they both had fallen asleep. He had awaken in a cold sweat and Kenna was gone. She never would have left him in the semi dark basement unless one of the kids needed her. Hearing footsteps on the stairs Eliot had vaulted over the back of the couch and found her coming downstairs. He didn't say a word just took her right there on the steps.

"It felt like desperation."

"It was. I woke up and you were gone." She ran her hand over him, making him harder. Kenna always knew him better than anyone else. "Like the last seven months." Her hand was tracing him and stroking him and he couldn't hold back his moan. "Kenna…" Her lips moved down his chest and she shifted between his legs. "Oh, God baby." She nipped, nibbled and kissed her way down his chest. Spending an ungodly amount of time on the scar on his stomach, Eliot thought he would explode if she didn't continue her journey. When he thought he couldn't take it anymore she moved lower, teasing him with her tongue and stroking him with her hand. He let her be in charge for all of a minute before he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up, flipping her on her back and plunging into her.

"Sorry baby, I couldn't hold back any longer." He started moving his hips. Kissing her deeply Eliot moved faster and he felt her hands on his back and down his ass pulling more deeply inside her.

"Oh yeah Eliot, oh God yes fuck me." The words fueled his desire for her. The soft southern drawl that came out when she was extremely tired or unbelievably turned on made him even harder, if that was possible. He moved his hands to either side of her head and kissed her deeply, his tongue dancing with hers. Opening her eyes she looked into his. "They can't get to you when you're with me." She whispered.

"I know." He growled. Moving faster and pushing deeper Eliot watched his wife as she was pushed over the edge. Her nails bit into his shoulders and her hips bucked pulling him deeply into her. He followed with his own orgasm shaking him to the core. He collapsed on Kenna as she ran her hands over his head and back. Taking a deep breath Eliot went to move but Kenna didn't release him. She held him close and made him look at her.

"I meant it Eliot. As long as you're with me, you'll be safe." She whispered and reached down pulling the blanket over them both. That's the way they fell asleep, with Eliot still inside her and her arms wrapped securely around him.


	2. Chapter 2

Fall Into Darkness

Alternate Universe

Eliot awoke to his head pounding and his phone ringing. He was gonna kill Kenna for changing his ringtone again to that damn Bon Jovi song.

"Kenna answer the damn phone already." He growled.

"Answer your own damn phone and who the hell is Kenna?" Eliot took his head out from underneath the pillow and tried to open his eyes.

"Aimee?"

"Who the hell else would it be?" His head hurt too damn much for only four beers. Struggling Eliot finally pried open his eyes enough to see the blurry shape of Aimee Martin standing next to his bed. He felt the phone hit him in the side of the head. "That's the last time you play poker with the ranch hands till three in the morning Eliot Spencer." He watched her storm out of the room. Reaching for his phone he hoped the hell he would wake up from this nightmare before his head exploded.

"What!" He screamed at whoever was on the other end of the line.

"You sound like shit big brother."

"Jodi? Oh God…you need to help me."

"Mama wants to know if you and Aimee and the kids are coming for dinner on Sunday."

"Where's Kenna?"

"Kenna? Kenna Hawks?"

"Yeah, where is she?" Eliot sat up and rand his hand over his face.

"The same place she's been for the last twenty years Eliot."

"Where?"

"Buried next to dad at the cemetery in Winchester." The pain shot through him as he fell to his knees, a groan escaping his lips. "Eliot…Eliot are you okay?"

"I'll call you back." He mumbled and threw the phone against the wall as Aimee walked through the door.

"What the hell has gotten into you this morning?" She looked at him.

"Nothing…just…I need to be alone."

"Dad's waiting for you in the stables. He just got that gelding delivered."

"Aimee…please."

"I can't believe you." She turned and slammed the door. Eliot cringed. The bile rose in his stomach and he searched the room for a place to empty it. The bathroom door was open and he just made it before he threw up for the first time in years.

"Daddy." Eliot heard the voice behind him and turned. A blond boy stood at the bathroom door. "Are you okay?" Nodding he looked at the boy. He looked like Aimee. Eliot felt the churning in his stomach start again. Could it all have been a dream? Who dreamed lifetimes? If this was his life, how come all he could remember was leaving Aimee to join the Army and the life that followed? Where were Nate and the others if Kenna had been dead twenty years? His head was pounding and he felt the bile rising again and turned and emptied his stomach again.

"Eliot." He felt warm hands on his shoulders. "Eliot, are you okay?" Aimee's voice echoed in his head.

"Please take him and go." Eliot wasn't sure what was going on and he didn't want to hurt Aimee or the boy if he did something stupid.

"Eliot, please tell me what's wrong." He looked up at her and she didn't look scared of him and he knew she should be.

"Just go." He didn't want to hurt her. He never had. Eliot ran his hands over his face and when he looked up he was alone. Had his life with Kenna all been a dream? Faith and Chance? Nate and the team? He stood and ran cold water and splashed some on his face and looked in the mirror. What the hell was going on? He reached for a towel and wiped his face and headed back into the bedroom and picked up his phone. It was the one he had carried for years and Hardison updated regularly. He went to the phone book and found names he didn't recognize.

"Kenna's dead, Jodi thinks I've lost my mind and I have no way of contacting Nate." He closed his eyes. "Kenna…" Eliot saw her then. Her smile and warm brown eyes that saw into his soul and made his life worth living. Dialing Jodi, he slid down and sat on the floor.

"Hello."

"I'm going crazy." He whispered.

"Eliot, what's wrong?"

"Tell me about Kenna."

"Eliot…."

"Please, Jodi."

"She was really destroyed when you left. I didn't see her for weeks and then she came back a different person. She left for Lexington and then…she was dead."

"Did they ever find out who killed her?" Eliot felt sick again.

"Simon LaForce." He closed his eyes. "Did you hit your head?" Jodi sounded worried.

"No, I just had a dream."

"About Kenna?"

"Yeah, it was so real Jo." He closed his eyes. "Everything was so damn real."

"You haven't called me that in so long Eliot." His sister said softly. "Tell me about it."

"You and Charlie were married. You had a daughter and adopted two more. Kenna and I had a couple of kids."

"Sounds nice." Jodi had missed her brother so much. He had pulled away after he came back from the army and settled with Aimee.

"I've never had a dream like that ever." Eliot needed to talk to someone. He needed Kenna, or Nate but Jodi was going to have to do. "We were a real family."

"Like before you left?"

"Yeah, like before I left." Standing Eliot looked out the window. Willy was walking the new gelding into the paddock. "I need to go Jo. I'll call you soon."

"Bye El." He hung up and got dressed quickly and headed out to the barn. Eliot went into the paddock.

"Sorry I'm late Willy."

"Rumor has it you took the hands for pretty much all of their paychecks." Eliot couldn't remember if he'd played poker let alone won or lost.

"If they say so." Eliot answered.

"Something bothering you son?"

"Nothing I can't handle Willy."

"Okay." The older man handed him the reigns. "Do your magic boy." Eliot pulled the reigns and the horse bucked, he stepped back a minute to soon, the horse came down his hoof landing squarely on Eliot's chest. He hit the ground and the blackness overtook him. His last coherent thought before he passed out was that today was defiantly not his day.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"Eliot, Eliot, EL-i-ot." The damn pounding in his head was worse than ever and now Parker's voice was grinding in his ear. Parker. Eliot opened his eyes. She was right above him, blue eyes sparkling. "Who's Kenna?" Eliot groaned. If Parker didn't know Kenna then the dream had been just that, a dream.

"Parker…" Eliot looked around the room. His apartment in Boston. At least he was on the right track. Maybe Kenna wasn't gone in this dream. Maybe he still had a chance.

"Who is Kenna? You keep moaning her name in your sleep."

"She was an old friend." He looked at his friend. "It's complicated."

"Hardison can find her. I mean he can find anyone." She moved and sat crossed legged on the bed. Eliot sat up, his head still pounding. "I'm sorry about the guy, I should have warned you."

"Not the first time crazy girl, it won't be the last." Sitting up and moving his feet to the floor was almost gut wrenching.

"Are you sure you should be getting up?" Her hand was on his shoulder.

"I'm fine." But he wasn't fine. His head hurt and his stomach was churning like never before. He got up and made it to the bathroom before he emptied his stomach yet again.

"If that's fine, I would hate to see not fine." Parker said from the bedroom. She lay back down and looked at the ceiling. "Can I do anything?"

"Hardison, get him for me please." Parker was standing at the door.

"Eliot, you said please…are you dying?"

"I just might be." He threw up again. Now he knew why he hated being sick. He looked up to find Parker gone. Closing his eyes he hoped she hadn't been a dream too. Eliot didn't believe much in karma but she was sure biting him in the ass.

"Oh dear God in heaven, what the hell happened to him?" Hardison stood in the door way with Parker.

"He's dying." Parker whispered.

"Sure the hell looks like he is." Eliot looked up and glared at the hacker. "Parker said you said please and it really intrigued me so here I am. What do you need?"

"Kenna Shane Sp…Hawks…born June twenty-eighth nineteen seventy-five. Find her please." A few seconds later Hardison looked up from his notebook. "What?"

"She's in prison."

"Where?" Eliot growled.

"Shelby County, Kentucky." Hardison pushed a few more buttons. "Life, without parole."

"Why?" The hitter swallowed hard, trying not to get sick again.

"Murder. She killed a man named Simon LaForce for raping and murdering her best friend Jo…oh Eliot…"

"Jodi Spencer." Eliot was finding it hard to breath. "The bastard killed my sister."

"You didn't know this?" Hardison looked at his friend.

"I've been having a hell of a day so far and right now it's not getting any better. Find me a flight to the airport closest to the prison and rent me a car." Eliot stood. "Please."

"Eliot, man you are no condition to fly." Hardison told him.

"I have to see her. That's a pretty steep sentence for murdering a killer."

"She also killed her…mother…Eliot this chick killed her mother in cold blood. Walked into the house and shot her in front of her brother's and sister's."

"Joelle Hawks was a piece of shit Hardison. She sold her daughters and sons to pedophiles and perverts. The woman got was she deserved. I only wish I had had the balls to kill the bitch." He ran the water cold and splashed some on his face. He swore he was just doing this in the bathroom he shared with Aimee.

"Do you want us to come with you?" Parker said quietly behind Hardison. He turned and looked at her.

"This is something I need to do myself. Thank you for asking though." He looked at the two people who had become more than just part of his team. He knew the life with Kenna had been something of a dream but what he knew about his friends was strangely real to him. Parker was gone then, disappearing to where ever Parker went when things didn't go the way she wanted them.

"I got you booked on a private flight to a little airstrip about thirty miles from the prison. A car will be waiting. There's no rental places but I got some connections."

"Thanks." Hardison nodded and was gone too, leaving him with his own thoughts and a whole hell of a lot of demons. He looked at himself in the mirror and it wasn't pretty. Feeling like he hadn't slept in days and the constant headaches and throwing up weren't helping matters any.

"You look like shit." Eliot turned to see Nate standing in the doorway.

"Thanks." He turned to face his friend. "Hardison told you?"

"Yeah, well that boy isn't one to keep a secret as big as Eliot saying please and thank you." Nate leaned against the door frame. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"You don't even know why I'm going."

"Who needs to know why?" He looked at his hitter. Why?"

"Have you ever had a dream so real you woke up thinking it was?"

"Yeah, I had a lot of those after Sam died."

"I had a dream about a girl Nate. A girl I fell in love with when I was nine."

"Before Aimee then." Nate smiled.

"Way before Aimee." Eliot chuckled. "My sister brought her home one day when she was five. Kenna was seven."

"You fell in love with her then?"

"Pretty much, as much as a nine year old can. It took another seven years but I fell hard for her. Then I had to leave."

"She's the one who killed the guy who killed your sister?"

"How…?"

"You told me once, when we were talking about Sam." He would have trusted Nate in any life. He was the strong one. The brains behind his brawn most of the time and a man he would be friends with till the day he died.

"Kenna was one of my best friends and we relied on each other. I had to leave, my step dad was a jerk and nearly killed me. I left and Kenna had a meltdown. In my dream she plowed through it and became this incredible woman. She joined the Army and found a home with a team of Navy Seals. Don't ask…it all gets really confusing. I lived out four years in this dream Nate. Four years with the one person in the world that gets me."

"Are we still…a team?"

"Yeah, more like a real family. We have two kids and you and Sophie, Parker and Hardison are their godparents."

"Sophie and me?"

"You two are married." Nate looked shocked.

"Married? Me and Sophie? Wow." Eliot grabbed his shaving kit and pushed passed him and went to pack.

"Yeah, I see it all like its' my memories."

"You said you had a dream with in a dream."

"I had one that I was married to Aimee and remembered my life with Kenna. But I woke up here and Parker said I was hit over the head."

"Yeah, he caught you pretty hard with that board."

"Yeah, the head ache won't go away." Eliot grabbed his bag. "Are you comin'?"

"I think I will. What happened to Kenna in your dream with Aimee?" Walking out the door, Eliot turned.

"Simon killed her." He turned back and headed out the door and Nate followed. Eliot knew he was never going to get his life with Kenna back but he had to try to save what little soul she had left after twenty years in prison.


	3. Chapter 3

Fall Into Darkness

What She's Become

"Do you think she'll even see you?" Nate said as they sat in the waiting room of the prison.

"Who knows? I don't know how much of what I remember and how much of what she remembers are real."

"You don't remember her killing this LaForce guy?"

"All I remember is the dream past. Kenna living her life till she came to me for help four years ago. She killed LaForce before he laid a hand on Jodi and I hid his body. She moved to Colorado and I went on with my life."

"Man that guy hit you hard."

"Only Kenna's life has changed. And Jodi's." The guard came up to them.

"She's ready." Eliot and Nate stood. They followed the guard into a room. He nodded to the two chairs. "She hasn't had any visitors in a while. I've been trying to call the emergency contact numbers in her file and no one responds." He handed Eliot the file.

"That's my mom's number." Nate looked at the page.

"The other one is the office number." He noticed. Eliot looked at the guard.

"Someone should have answered this one."

"I tried both and got no answer or even a machine." The guard took the file. "She's been on suicide watch for three weeks. She's a smart cookie who got a bum rap so we try to keep her under the radar but some days her mouth gets her in more shit than even my guys can protect her from." Eliot smiled a small smile.

"Sounds like the Kenna I know." The door opened and he looked up. The woman coming in the room in the orange jumpsuit was far from the Kenna he knew. Her honey blond hair was light brown, her bright brown eyes clouded with a lifetime of imprisonment and she looked like she hadn't eaten in days. "Kenna?" She looked at him with unfamiliar eyes.

"Yeah, who the hell are you?"

"Eliot, Kenna. Eliot Spencer." She tilted her head like she was trying to place the name with the face and then smiled.

"Eliot Spencer died twenty years ago. They buried his cold heart next to his sister." She spat out angrily.

"Kenna…"

"You have some nerve showing your face here after what you did. You left us and LaForce and all my mama's men thought me and Jodi were free game." She looked at him with something Eliot had never seen in his dream. There was pure hatred in her eyes.

"I'm sorry…God I know that's not enough Kenna…"

"Have you seen him?"

"Seen who?"

"Guess your mama must hate you as much as I do. Your son…Eliot. The night you left I got pregnant. He was born here with me but your mama promised me she would keep him safe till you got home."

"I haven't…" The room was spinning again and Eliot had no way of stopping it.

"Eliot…" He felt Nate's hand on his shoulder. "Breathe Eliot…breathe." The bile rose again from his stomach and he needed to throw up. The guard handed him a trash can.

"His name is Joseph Eliot Spencer, if you care." Kenna stood up. "It was nice seeing you again." She spat at him and the guard took her away. Eliot wanted to stop her, tell her that he would have been there if he had known but the darkness overtook him again and he was lost in another hellish version of his life.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

"Clear!" Kenna's voice echoed in his ear. "Damn it Eliot, don't you dare die on me. Not now." Her voice was shaky and he tried to reach for her. "Max, I know this thing can go faster." She was yelling at the driver. Eliot watched Kenna from just over her shoulder. It was him she was working on and he wasn't sure how he was supposed to react.

"Two minutes out Kenna. The surgeon is waiting." The driver's voice echoed above the sirens. Kenna continued CPR on him while tears welled up in her eyes.

"Don't you die on me you son of a bitch cause heaven won't have you and hell knows your gonna take over so you need to stay here with me damn it." She kept up her compressions though her sobbing. "They can't make it without you. Nate and Sophie are barely hanging on as it is and Parker…Eliot we'll lose her forever." Eliot saw the blood seeping from the gunshot wounds to his belly. The back doors flew open and the doctor helped Kenna out and pushed her to the side as they hauled the gurney out. "Gun shot wound to the abdomen crashed in the rig but I got him back but now he flat lined again. BP sixty over forty."

"Kenna, are you okay?" The doctor looked at her.

"I will be, just save him." They went into the hospital and Kenna lost it. Her sobs were uncontrollable and if Nate hadn't of walk up and caught her she would have fallen to the ground.

"Take it easy kid, Eliot's a fighter."

"He didn't want to get out of bed this morning." Kenna looked at Nate. "He just wanted to catch the next flight out and run away. You know what I told him?" Eliot remembered the day like it was yesterday. "We don't need to run anymore."

"We don't need to run anymore." Eliot whispered at the same time. She had kissed him with such conviction that he had no choice but to believe her. Eliot felt like his heart was being torn from his chest as Nate and Sophie tried to reassure Kenna that he would be okay. "What the hell is happing to me?"

"You're dying." Eliot turned to find his father standing behind him.

"I'm…Pop..."

"I'm sorry to be so blunt but you have never been one to mince words, even as a boy."

"What's gonna happen to her? To my kids?"

"Your daughter will thrive, Nate and Sophie will see to that. Your son is yet to be."

"Kenna?"

"Kenna made choices in her life just like you."

"I'm not dying Pops. I won't leave them."

"Then you need to fight a little harder than, won't you." His father's steel grey eyes looked into his soul. The pain in his head grew and the white light behind him blinded him.

"Mateo! He's awake." Kenna was over him. "Eliot, talk to me honey."

"Kenna?"

"That's it baby, come back to me." She took something form her bag. "What day is it?"

"Mmmm the fuck if I know. Please tell me you're my wife." She chuckled.

"Last time I checked."

"What happened?" He looked at her.

"Someone booby trapped the trail. You went for a ride a few hours ago and when you didn't come back Mateo and I came looking for you."

"Faith and Chance?"

"Nate and the other's came up. They had a bad feeling too."

"How long was I out?"

"I don't know how long before we got here. You threw up a lot and your ribs are pretty bruised." She helped him sit up. "Mateo took Talia to check up on things."

"She should have warned…"

"You didn't take her out. You told her to watch the house." Eliot tried to remember.

"After falling asleep last night, I don't recall anything."

"What about before you feel asleep?"

"You really think I would forget hot make up sex with my wife?"

"We'll you haven't lost your long term memory." She took a flashlight and checked his pupils.

"This is the bad feeling we had." Kenna looked him in the eye.

"I think it might be." Mateo came up to them with Talia.

"She lost his scent and the creek but I found tracks. Late model SUV. But the tracks are old, maybe two or three days."

"How do you know?" Kenna asked.

"They didn't start making the brand of tires till two years ago. You're not the only ones up on their CSI skills." The young man smiled. "You okay boss?"

"Had better days." Kenna cracked an ice pack, then another. Wrapping Eliot's ribs she placed an ice pack on both sides. "Really Kenna, press a little harder." He snapped.

"Maybe you should stitch your own damn head up then." She threw down the suture kit and stood.

"Okay you two can we take this back to the house because it's getting mighty cold out here and none of us need to get pneumonia." Eliot looked at his foreman.

"You heard the man." Kenna and Mateo helped Eliot to his feet. "Your horse made it back to the stable, are you?" She ran her hand down his back.

"Yeah, I think I'll be okay." He looked at his wife. "I'm sorry."

"Hell I've been gone for seven months, I kinda missed you biting my head off." She leaned in and kissed him. Kenna mounted her horse and reached for Eliot's hand. Between her and Mateo they got him on the back of her horse. "You okay cowboy?"

"Yeah, just glad to be home." He clenched his teeth against the pain.

"You've only been gone a couple hours."

"It seems like longer." Kenna felt him tighten the grip on her waist.

"That rope had been out here for awhile boss." Mateo edged his horse next to them on the trail. ''At least three or four weeks."

"McClosky could have had his men come out and set it up in hopes you'd come up here." Kenna turned and looked at Eliot.

"Why not take me out with a sniper? Less fuss that way."

"Maybe they were hoping it would look like an accident."

"McClosky couldn't have cared less what my death looked like."

"You and Kenna are the only one's who come out this far." Mateo looked at his employers. "No one goes past the tree line. I make that clear to all the new hands." Eliot looked at Kenna then Mateo.

"Why?" They weren't telling him something and he didn't like it.

"This is the one place you feel at home, in the woods riding. I didn't want you to ever feel unsafe here." Kenna stopped and looked at Eliot. "I never wanted this part of the ranch to be disturbed."

"The one place I let my guard down." He said softly. Mateo started riding ahead know his boss needed a minute or two alone with his wife.

"You don't even let it down when were in bed anymore." She kicked the side of the horse and started slowly toward the house. "Someone who knows us, knows you, set this up."

"We'll figure it all out when we get back to the house and every breath I take doesn't feel like it's gonna kill me."

"Mateo triple checks anyone he lets onto our land Eliot. This was an outside job."

"Backgrounds can be forged Kenna, you know that." The bouncing on the horse on the uneven ground was making the pain nearly unbearable.

"He wouldn't put the kids in danger like that. Or us." Mateo was ex-marine who Eliot had befriended in Croatia. He had gotten out and needed a fresh start and Eliot had given it to him. "Sinclair maybe."

"Kenna, come on. You know we're not gonna go there now or later so drop it." The house came into view and he was relieved in more ways than one. He didn't want to fight with Kenna. Not now. He hurt and he wanted to take a shower and sleep for a week. Eliot knew the latter wouldn't happen. It would be a long time before he was able to sleep. Sleep meant losing his reality and losing his connection to Kenna.

"Eliot?" Kenna stopped the horse and Mateo came up to them.

"I'm fine." Eliot slid off and his foreman caught him before he tumbled to the ground.

"Okay boss, let's get you in the house and get some more ice." Mateo helped Eliot toward the house. "Put Zeus in the first stall, I'll deal with him later." He led his boss up the steps.

"You were a little rude to my wife."

"You wife told me to call her out if I thought she was wrong or crossed the line." Eliot looked at his foreman and friend.

"Then you'll be rude to her quite often then." The younger man chuckled.

"It's the first time since she told me I could. It really felt kinda nice." They walked up the steps and Faith came flying out the door. Mateo caught her before she flew into her father. "Slow down there kid, your daddy's a little battered and bruised."

"I thoughts you got lost daddy. But Talia founded you." She touched her dad's cheek. "Mama said lots of really bad words." Eliot wanted to laugh but he knew his ribs would protest. Nate came and helped him the rest of the way into the house and Mateo took the little girl and headed to the barn.

"Your mama needs some help putting up the horses. You up for it kid?"

"Yes Mateo." The little girl wiggled out of the man's arms and headed to the barn. The man watched till she made it inside the door and then headed into the house. Eliot was on the couch already, Sophie fussing over him.

"I'm making another round before I start work. You need anything from town?"

"Nothin' I can think of." Eliot said through clenched teeth.

"Kenna has Faith."

"Thanks for coming after me."

"You would do the same for me boss." Mateo nodded and headed out the door.

"Stop fussing Sophie." Nate looked at his wife. "Anything broke?" He asked Eliot.

"My pride is a whole lot bruised but other than that, I'm okay." He looked at his boss. "Someone's messing with my life again I don't like it Nate."

"I have Hardison checking on some things. We have everyone who ever had a beef with you and Kenna on a line we haven't gotten a bite since Kenna came home."

"What about before she got nabbed?"

"Nothing in nearly a year." Hardison came up from the basement. "Even then it was just the odd creeper and some of your old cronies from your hitter days checking up on you."

"No one knows about this place other than our family." Eliot cringed. "Kenna's going after Hunter."

"No she's not." Kenna stood at the door, Faith by her side. "This wasn't him. He would have been smarter than some half assed booby trap."

"Mama, watch your mouth." The little girl next to Kenna looked up at her and frowned.

"Sorry Faith." Kenna looked at the people in the room. "Whoever this was made a big mistake coming on my land and messing with my family. After the last seven months I'm not taking any chances." She looked at Eliot. "I can't lose what I just got back." She went to the couch and sat next to her husband. "I'm sorry."

"You were pissed. I get that." He reached for her hand. "Just don't let it fester Kenna." She nodded and stood.

"Can I get you anything?" Damn she was shutting down and that was the last thing he needed.

"I need you to stay with me baby." He reached for her but she pulled away.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." She turned and walked into the kitchen.

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Nate said from behind him.

"No. Just keep an eye on the kids." Eliot painfully got up from the couch and headed into the kitchen. "Kenna." She was slamming down food and pulling things out of drawers. "Kenna!" She looked up.

"You should be resting."

"I rested enough for two lifetimes today." He leaned against the counter. "This life…the one with you in it is the only life I want and I can't lose you to death or revenge."

"I'm not going anywhere Eliot. I told you that."

"You start letting this eat away at you, you will be gone. Your body might be here but baby it will eat away at your soul." He reached out and touched her cheek. "You know what happened when I was out there?" She shook her head. "I had dreams of a life without you. I didn't like what I saw." Kenna pulled away and finished getting the makings for lunch.

"I woke up this morning and you were gone. Do you know how that made me feel Eliot?" He knew. When he had come to from surgery after the explosion she wasn't there coxing him back to consciousness. It was unbearable. He went and stood behind her and stopped her from banging another pot on the stove. She was shaking.

"I know baby. I know what's it like 'cause I've been there and I'm sorry I put you through that." He pulled her into his arms. "We're gonna work this out but we need to take a breath and figure out what the hell is going on." He held her for a moment before he turned her around and looked into her eyes. "We need to stay strong Kenna."

"I know." She touched his cheek. "Go rest. I'll make lunch and send Nate and the other's back to the city."

"Kenna…"

"We'll talk. We'll figure this out but I don't want them hovering. They've been hovering since I came back and I can't take much more." Turning back to the stove Eliot knew she was done talking for now.

"I love you Kenna."

"I love you too." She answered without turning around.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

"I love spring time in the country." Kenna handed Eliot a beer. The kids had been put down and goodbyes had been said and now they were alone for at least a little while. The wicker furniture on the porch was as comfortable as the living room couch. Eliot lifted the blanket and Kenna kicked off her slippers and crawled between his legs. "Tell me about what you saw when you were unconscious?" He ran his hand down her back.

"I saw what life was like if I took different roads. The first time I woke up I was married to Aimee."

"Kentucky Aimee?" Kenna looked up at him.

"Yeah." He looked into her eyes. "It wasn't anything like I remember." Kenna smiled. She had met Aimee once a few years back at a horse auction. Nate had introduced them and he seemed really happy to rub in the fact that Kenna was married to Eliot. "You were dead."

"Dead?"

"Yeah…LaForce killed you." Her eyes grew sad. "I nearly lost my mind when I talked to Jodi and she told me." He pulled her closer. The next time Jodi was dead and you were in jail for killing LaForce and your mom." Slowly Eliot stroked her hair. "You had our son in jail."

"How sad for both of us." Eliot felt her hand move down his chest and under his shirt. He knew she needed to feel his warmth.

"The third time I was dead. I died when the Irish mob guy shot me."

"All this while you were knocked out?"

"Yeah. I didn't even remember leaving the house to go for a ride this morning." Kenna snuggled into him. "We did have wild make up sex last night, right?"

"Yeah. It was really great make up sex too." She smiled.

"We're gonna figure this out Kenna, I promise." He pulled her up and kissed her softy, trying not jostle his ribs. "And when my ribs heal we're gonna have 'I'm so fuckin' happy to be alive sex.'" Kenna smiled.

"I'll look forward to that." They both relaxed and watched the stars slowly come out. It had been a long time since quiet had been so welcoming.

0/0/0/0/0/0

_**A/N: Thank you all for reading and I'm sorry if all my editing skill is lacking…I didn't want to poke my editor on her much needed vacation time. Please review because I'm getting a little needy. Thank you to all who are still reading and to all the voices in my head…you know who you are.**__**OwHHHHHHHH**_


	4. Chapter 4

Fall Into Darkness

Past Sins

"Mom wants to come out for Easter." Eliot drove down the highway the next morning. Kenna looked at him.

"God, I haven't called her or Jodi since I got back."

"They know we've been busy." He looked in the rearview mirror and Faith making faces at her brother. The little boy was laughing hysterically. Eliot smiled. "You feeling any better about yesterday's accident?" Eliot knew that she was feeling uneasy even after Talia made two sweeps of the farm and she herself took a ride to check for fresh tracks on the property.

"I'm not letting my guard down but I'm not going to hide either." She looked at him. "Life is too short." He reached for her hand.

"I'm glad you feel that way." Kenna smiled.

"I have a great husband, good kids and a family who has my back. We can take what comes our way as long as we stick together."

"Exactly." The rest of the drive was relatively quiet. Eliot pulled into the garage and shut off the truck. "Ready to get back to work?" He looked at his wife.

"Let's go." Kenna got out and helped Faith out of her seat as Eliot took Chance's out of his side. They walked into the bar ready for anything.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

"A women's prison?" Eliot looked at Nate. He hadn't told his friend about his dream that included Kenna in a woman's prison for killing LaForce.

"Yeah. Seems the warden is making some enemies. She's trying to run a by- the- book penal facility and some bad guys on the outside are making it a little hard for her to keep things on the up and up." Nate nodded. Hardison started the video.

"Kellen Blair is ex-military, ex-FBI and one of Kansas City's best undercover cops. About six years ago she got married and wanted to start a family so she went private. Security at first but then the state recruited her to run one of their best and biggest women's facilities. She's cleaned up the place up a hundred percent. She got rid of guards that were doing hinky things and any staff that wasn't doing their jobs. Then last year they got a huge cleaning contract from Lafferty Cleaners. Brought the prison over a million and a half dollar's last year."

"Cleaners means mob." Kenna looked at the screen.

"Why does it always come down to mob connections?" Parker asked.

"Laundering money. It all started when some guy who owned a cleaner's offered the mob a place to make bad money good." Eliot told her. "So this Lafferty guy is dirty?"

"Filthy. But he never approached Kellen to do more than clean clothes till last week." Hardison flicked his clicker and three women came up on the screen. "Shelly Danvers, Blake Wise, and Karen Shoutz. These three are what I like to call Lafferty's angles. Good girl's gone mob. A hitter, a grifter and a thief. All part of Lafferty's crew, all busted when they were at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Lafferty wants Kellen Blair to let them walk out?" Sophie asked.

"Pretty much." Nate stood. "The hitter, Karen Shoutz was planted there to kill a couple of wanna be mob dames."

"Mob dames?" Kenna smile. "They still use that term?"

"Yeah." Hardison changed the picture. "Jess Lewis and Paris Lynn. Now getting to be a mob dame is like getting initiated into a gang. Beat or kill someone and you're in. The two of them beat a husband and wife within an inch of their lives after they left a party. What the two very stupid ladies did not know is that the couple was related to Lafferty. Long story short this mob guy wants his women out and when Kellen refused, he let lose a whole lot of trouble. Even putting the three in solitary has not stopped riots from breaking out or drugs from getting in. Kellen is at her wits ends."

"So…we go in and take down the bad girls and hope Lafferty backs off?" Kenna looked at Nate.

"We need Lafferty gone. That's what Sophie and I are going to do while you four work the prison angle." Nate looked at the four younger team members. "Kenna and Parker as inmates, Eliot and Hardison as guards." Eliot looked at Nate.

"You trust this woman, Nate?" He wasn't putting his wife and friend in a place they might not be able to get out of.

"You know I wouldn't put the four of you behind those walls if I didn't." Nate looked at his hitter. "The cops won't help. She's afraid for her family Eliot."

"I don't want them in there alone. They won't let us work twenty four seven."

"Hardison is hooking their cell up with surveillance equipment and he's making sure we don't lose contact with them. I do have you pulling a double so the only time they'll be without one of you in there is from seven in the morning till four." Nate looked at his team. "I know it's been awhile since we worked a case this complex." He looked at Kenna. "We're glad to have you back Kenna."

"I'm glad to be back." She felt Eliot's arm tighten around her and she knew he was glad she was back to work but she also knew that he was worried.

"Okay we leave tomorrow for Kansas City." Nate turned off the screens. "Get some rest. It's going to be along week." Nate and Sophie said their goodbyes and headed out to dinner.

"Pizza and the Celtics?" Eliot asked the other three people in the room.

"We're catchin' a movie since who knows when my woman will be sprung from the big house." Hardison laughed. They grabbed their coats. "You guys want to come?"

"Amy has a date. Thanks anyway."

"Okay, see you in the morning." Parker said as they headed out. Kenna went to gather up the cups and bottles from around the apartment.

"So I guess it's just you, me, pizza and hoops." Eliot came up behind her and pulled her against him. "I say we put the kids to bed and take a few hours to ourselves before we throw ourselves back into work." He kissed the back of her neck.

"Mmmmm, that sounds like a plan." She ran her hands over his. "You call Jack and order the pizza." She pressed against him. "I'll get the kids ready for bed."

"We're not gonna see any basketball tonight, are we?" He whispered in her ear.

"I guess we'll just have to see, won't we." She pushed away from him and turned to look at him. "When was the last time we made it through a whole game?" She shut off the lights in the kitchen and headed for the door.

"It's been a while." He smiled. "The Super Bowl three years ago, I think?" Eliot followed Kenna to the stairs.

"Oh yeah, but damn, the half time show in Nate's and Sophie's bathroom was way more exciting than the Black Eyed Peas." Kenna almost blushed thinking of that day.

"You remember the half time show?" Eliot asked as they walked up the steps.

"I remember you taking me on the counter and having to fix the cold water valve after we were done." She punched in the code on the pad by the third floor door.

"You were a little hard on the plumbing that day." They walked to their apartment door.

"The Packer's did win the Super Bowl that day."

"And started a half time fucking tradition." He opened the door. Faith came running and he caught her as she jumped into his arms. "Hey, Peanut. What's up?"

"Amy says it's almost bed time. You and Mama were gone forever." Eliot smiled.

"I know. But we're here now." He looked at Amy. "How were they?"

"Good. I fed Chance about a half hour ago and he's already in bed." She looked at Kenna who was checking on the boy. "Is she ever going to trust me again?" Amy looked at Eliot.

"What do you mean?"

"I know how she feels about Hunter. He told me that they never got along."

"Amy…she trusts you. If she didn't, do you think we'd be going out of town and leaving you in charge?"

"I guess. I just need her to know that I would do anything for your family."

"We both know that." Kenna came out of Chance's room and closed the door. Amy grabbed her bag.

"I'll be here at seven." She leaned over and hugged Faith. "See you later gator."

"In a while 'dile." The little girl giggled. Amy waved goodbye and headed out the door. "Are you and Mama going outta town to work, Daddy?"

"'Fraid so, Peanut. Uncle Nate has a big job for us in Kansas City."

"Why can't me and Chance come."

"It's gonna be a long week baby girl." Kenna reached for her but Faith snuggled into her father. He looked at his wife. "Mama's gonna get you ready for bed and then we'll all read a story."

"I want you to get me ready Daddy." She snuggled her head deeper into his neck.

"You get her ready, I'll call Jack's." Kenna touched her daughters brown curls. "I'll be in for story time." She walked into the kitchen and Eliot watched her. He wasn't quite sure what happened to make Faith pull away from her mother but he was going to find out. He carried his daughter into her room and found her pajamas.

"Why didn't you want Mama to get you ready for bed?" He set her down and handed her the footy pajamas she loved.

"She doesn't do it right." The little girl grumbled.

"You've let her get you ready all week. What's she doing wrong?"

"She doesn't let me do it." The little girl sat on her bed and pulled off her jeans. "And she talks all the time." Whipping her jeans in the hamper she pulled on her pajama pants. He watched her. Eliot knew that he never talked much when she got ready for bed because when Kenna was gone he couldn't find the words he needed to talk to the little girl. He watched her change her top and fling the dirty one in the hamper.

"Then you need to show her the right way, Faith." Eliot squatted down in front her. "Mama likes getting you ready for bed just as much as I do baby."

"I know." She took her father's face in her hands. "She's gonna come back with you, right?"

"Of course baby, why wouldn't she?"

"'Cause, last time…she didn't." Eliot stood and lifted the little girl into his arms.

"Ahhh, Peanut, I promise I will bring her home this time." He held her close and hugged her. Hearing Kenna's footsteps he turned. Faith nearly threw herself into her mother's arms.

"Hey." The little girl hugged her mother tightly. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah Mama, will you and daddy read me 'Free Billy Goats Gruff'?

"You bet."

"Daddy gots to do the voices though." Eliot smiled.

"Anything you want." Eliot grabbed the book off the shelf above her bed. Ten minutes later the girl was out like a light and her parents quietly shut the door behind them. Eliot grabbed his wife's hand and pulled her against him. "I love you." He said just before he kissed her. His hands were on her face then moved down her body as he pushed her against the bar.

"Pizza will be here in ten minutes." She said as his lips moved from her mouth, down her neck.

"Wouldn't be the first time Jack delivered a pizza to you half naked." Eliot pulled off her t-shirt and flung it in the direction of the couch. He kissed her collar bone and unhooked her bra. As he let it slide off he took a nipple into his mouth and sucked gently first one then the other.

"Eliot…" She panted as her hands went to his hair. He undid the button on her jeans and slid them and her panties down her legs. She stepped out of them just as his lips touched the hot moist bud between her legs. "Oh Eliot." Her legs felt weak as he paid an abundance of attention to her heated sex. Running her hands over his hair she leaned against the bar stool as he explored her with his tongue. He felt her tense and he slowly made his way back up her body and undid his belt and jeans as he kissed her deeply.

"Tell me…" He whispered as she felt his heat against hers.

"Fuck me, Eliot!" She moaned just before he plunged inside her. "Oh God, Eliot I love you." She panted as he moved inside her. Wrapping her legs around him she pulled him deeper inside her. His hands moved over her body as he kissed her again and pressed deeper inside her. "Oh yeah oh Eliot…." The knock on the door sent Talia into to guard mode and she went to the door.

"Oh shit." Eliot stopped in mid stroke. Kenna closed her eyes.

"Don't stop." She groaned.

"Darlin' ,he's not gonna wait all night."

"Five minutes…Eliot." He moved a little and it only made him harder. "Just have him leave the pizza and put it on our tab."

"What about the tip?" He kissed her and pulled out of her, he pulled up his pants and went to the door.

"Sorry, Eliot, I have another delivery…I couldn't wait." The young delivery boy was blushing.

"No problem." Handing the kid a fifty he took the pizza. "Keep the change." Eliot didn't bother saying anything more. Shutting the door, he tossed the pizza on the counter.

"You gonna finish cowboy or do I have to do it myself." Kenna smiled. He grabbed her hand and headed upstairs to finish what he started before she took things into her own hands.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

Kenna woke up with a start. Her head was spinning and her breath ragged. Eliot was gone. His side of the bed was empty but still warm. She heard his voice but it took her minute to realize it was coming from the baby monitor.

"Take it easy big guy, I don't have the instant shit like your mama." She smiled. "Sorry it took so long but I know you don't like it with ice chunks." The baby giggled then and hiccupped. "Settle down big guy, you're gonna wake up your sister and your mama. Let me tell you something, waking up a Spencer woman before she's ready is not a real smart move. You and I on the other hand wake up just like we fall asleep." Kenna lay back down and listened to the one sided conversation. She didn't know what woke her and she didn't really care. Her heart rate slowed and she relaxed. By the time Eliot returned from feeding Chance everything was as it should be.

"How's he doing?" Kenna pulled back the covers.

"He hates the bottle but I got him to suck down six ounces." Eliot slid in next to his wife. "How long have you been up?" He pulled her into his arms.

"Just a few minutes." She ran her hand down his bare chest.

"What's wrong?"

"I woke up and you were gone. I was okay, I just…it felt like…when I was gone. I always woke up alone." He kissed her.

"I'm sorry." Eliot knew that she was still a little uneasy. "How are you going to hold up all alone in prison?" Kenna smiled.

"I'll have Parker to snuggle up to." Eliot chuckled.

"Why I do not find that arousing is beyond me." He felt her hand move down his chest. Her fingers slid under the waistband of the boxers he had slid on before going to take care of Chance.

"Do you find that arousing?" She asked. He closed his eyes.

"You know what your hands do to me, woman." She moved lower and kissed her way down his chest.

"I owe you." She whispered as her lips pressed kisses against his hardening cock.

"Oh darlin', you don't…" His breath caught as her tongue did things to him that he never imagined she could do. "Kenna, you might want to….oh GOD!" Eliot tightened his grip on the sheet beneath him.

"You like that cowboy?" She whispered, her breath hot against him.

"You have to ask?" He ground out. Chuckling she made her way back up his body but her hand continued stroking him. Kissing him deeply she straddled him and slowly slid his hardness into her. "Oh baby…" He arched his back and gripped her hips pressing deep inside her. Then his hands roamed up and down her back as she leaned in a kissed him deeply, her hips moving rapidly at first then when she knew they were both close she slowed down. She knew how to control both of them and he didn't care right now. He grabbed her ass and started moving faster knowing how to push her over the edge.

"Eliot oh, oh ." His movements became faster and Kenna matched his thrust taking them both over the edge. "Eliot!" She collapsed on him breathless.

"Jail's gonna suck." He closed his eyes and pulled the covers over them both, adjusting Kenna so she was snug against him.

"At least you don't have to share a cell with Parker." She said drowsily.

"Thank God." He kissed the top of her head. "Night baby."

"I love you, Eliot." They both fell into a dreamless, blissful sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Fall Into Darkness

Behind Bars

Eliot watched as Kenna slid into the orange jump suit which was two sizes too big. She was always willing to do whatever it took to get the job done but he knew this was harder than she would ever let on.

"We can call it off." He looked at her in the mirror. Brown eyes meeting blue.

"And tell Kellen Blair what?" Turning she looked him in the eye. "When have I ever turned down a challenge?" She leaned against the sink.

"Never. Just say the word, baby, and we pull you and Parker out of there. I talked to Kellen and she promised me that she'll call a lock down the first sign of trouble."

"Eliot, if she does we won't be able to get anything on Lafferty. I can take care of myself." He stood and went to her. Touching her cheek, he leaned in and softly kissed her lips.

"I know, but a man has to feel a little nervous that his wife is going into a maximum security prison alone and unprotected."

"I'm not going in alone, I have Parker and I'm far from unprotected." She smiled. "You forget I used to kill people for a living."

"I didn't forget. I just choose to think that you need me to protect you now and then."

"I always need you Eliot." She leaned into him and kissed him. "I love you." He knew that Kenna could pretty much handle whatever came her way but the last seven months without her had changed him. He pulled her close and she wrapped her arms around him. He deepened the kiss just as Hardison walked in.

"Awww, come on you two…haven't we had enough hello or goodbye sex to get us through the next three days. I mean three hours ago in the plane, two hours ago in the back of the van and a half hour ago in the bathroom is enough to last some people a month."

"You forget who we are Hardison." Kenna smiled and went back to kissing her husband.

"You all need some professional help."

"You try going seven months without something you've had every day for four years and see how that works for you." Eliot told him. He smiled at his wife and took a step back.

"Sorry if we embarrass you Alec." Kenna said.

"Y'all know it doesn't bother me, but if Parker knew that human's knocked boots the way you do, she might want to try it and I am not built like you two." He chuckled. "You ready for this?" He looked at his two best friends.

"Who's ever ready for prison?" answered Kenna.

"Tell me about it." Parker came bounding into the room looking bright eyed and ready for anything. Eliot had to give the thief credit. She started all their jobs with wide eyed enthusiasm.

"We have an hour to get to the prison. Warden Blair has us arriving from the court house by four thirty." Hardison added.

"Then let's get movin'." Eliot moved away from his wife and grabbed his baseball cap off the sink and his handcuffs off his belt. "Been a long time since we played good cop, bad girl." He grinned at Kenna.

"Stop liking this so much Spencer or when we get done here it'll be good cop, own hand." He handcuffed her hands in front of her and they left the court house witness room without anyone getting suspicious.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"It's scary how the two of them fit in." Hardison said as he watched Kenna and Parker sitting at a table on the tarmac below. Eliot watched the women around them.

"The two of them could join the circus and fit in." Kenna looked relaxed to the untrained eye but he knew better. Her eyes were moving around the room just like his.

"They can take care of themselves, Eliot."

"Why does everyone keep reminding me of that?" He ground out.

"Because we know how hard it is to watch someone you love put in the line of fire. We've all been there man." Eliot looked at his friend.

"Thanks. Those are the three the warden wants us to take down." Eliot pointed at three women standing in the corner of the big open room.

"The badest of the bad." Hardison watched as they made their way to Kenna and Parker's table. Their cover was solid. They robbed a bank in Wisconsin and had been in the women's prison there until overcrowding sent them to Kansas City.

"I hope they all wanna play nice or Kenna may have to kick a little ass on her first day." Eliot put his hand on his baton. He knew it was inevitable that Kenna would get into some sort of confrontation. But three hours in, that was too soon even for her. He saw her turn on her com so they could hear what was going on.

"Hey fresh meat." The dark haired leader of the three stood at the table. Kenna looked up.

"Evenin'." Kenna answered with a slow drawl.

"I heard you two rob banks." Parker stayed quiet. She knew that the quiet ones were more feared then the pushy ones.

"_Ease into it baby, you don't want her hatin' you right out of the gate." Eliot said calmly._

"It pays the bills. Or it did till our getaway driver got away before we got out." Kenna looked at the three women in front of her. Not one of them was over thirty and they all looked older then she did. Hard living was a bitch.

"So it was just you and your girl here?"

"Other than an occasional driver, yeah." Eliot watched the interaction.

"She's gotten farther with them in five minutes than anyone has since they got here. They usually start a fight or walk away." Warden Kellan Blair stood next to him.

"That's my wife, the con whisperer." The woman looked at him.

"She has a way with people. That's a good thing."

"Yeah, I know." He watched his wife interact with the women. Eliot knew that she was just like some of these women. Deep down she had killer instinct. They both did. One wrong move and she could just as likely been an inmate then undercover.

"You have kids, Mr. Spencer?"

"Two." He didn't want to share his life with the woman but she was their client and he didn't need to be rude.

"She'll be smart for them, and you." The woman touched his shoulder and was gone. Eliot turned back to watch Kenna.

"So you're good at it?" The brunette looked at Kenna wide eyed.

"Yeah." Kenna sat back and looked at the three women. "What are you in for?" The brunette seemed to do all the talking for the group.

"Assault, with intent." The woman smiled, proud of her accomplishments.

"Impressive." Kenna answered. She stood. "Maybe when we get out of here we can plan a job." Parker stood silently.

"Maybe. You two rode in with the new guards?" Blake nodded toward Hardison and Eliot standing on the overlook above the tarmac.

"Yeah. Couple of hard asses. The short one's just waiting for me to fuck up." Eliot growled at her to exaggerate her point.

"What did you do to him?" The red head Kenna knew was Shelly Danvers.

"I guess I remind him of an ex- girlfriend or something." Kenna chuckled.

"_Kenna Shane, you're asking for a spankin'." Eliot growled in her ear. _Kenna smiled and waved to him. He shook his head at her.

"I think he's sweet on you." Blake smiled.

"Yeah, well he's so not my type." Kenna grabbed her notebook she had on the table. "It was nice meeting y'all." She headed to her cell, Parker silently following behind her.

"_Meet me at the laundry room in five minutes." _Eliot nearly shouted into her ear.

"I think he's pissed at you." Parker said behind her.

"Ya think?" Kenna handed the younger woman the notebook. "Make sure you keep an eye on that." She winked at Parker and headed toward the now deserted laundry room.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

The room was dark and Kenna walked in without looking around or even bothering to turn on a light. She felt his presents before she heard him.

"You're playing with fire, woman." He was behind her, whispering in her ear.

"I'm getting to know the players." She answered. Feeling her husband's hot breath against her neck and his hands on her hips was doing things to her, wonderful things.

"You're taking risks." His hands moved up her body. "Those women are killers Kenna."

"So am I Eliot." She closed her eyes when his lips grazed the back of her ear.

"You were never like them, Darlin'." Leaning back against him she intertwined her hands with his.

"I feel like I could have been them Eliot." He pulled her tight against him.

"Never in a million years Kenna. We did what we did back in the day because we were following orders, even if the orders weren't always from the right sources." Kenna knew he was right. Eliot was always right. Turning in his arms she kissed him deeply. Undoing his belt and throwing it on the steel table, he ran his hands over her ass and up her back. Kenna fumbled with his fly as Eliot's hand worked down the zipper of her jumpsuit. Pushing her against the table he slid down her clothing and tore off her panties.

"You sure we should be doing this?" Kenna gasped.

"You never said no before." He smiled and slid into her at a painfully slow pace. "Why start now." He kissed her deeply and positioned her on the table so he could easily slide in and out of her.

"Ahhh oh oh God!" Kenna clung to him. Burying her face in his shoulder she moved with him. It seemed it was twice as hot knowing that they could get caught at any moment. She was shaking and Eliot clung to her, moving inside her, pushing them both closer to the edge.

"I love you." He growled in her ear. Kenna shuttered at the sound of his voice. Her nails bit into his shoulders and she gasped as her orgasm overtook her. Her muscles contracting took him over the edge as well. "I hate to say this baby but you need to get back to your cell." Eliot moved back and looked at his wife.

"I bet you say that to all your dates." She slid off the table and pulled up her jumpsuit. Eliot pulled up his pants and adjusted his uniform. He grabbed his belt and watched her as she zipped up her prison attire.

"You gonna be okay?" He said softly.

"Yeah." She touched his cheek. Looking over his shoulder Kenna saw a flash of red hair. "Another time." Nodding she pushed passed him and headed to her cell.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"I can't believe you two." Parker said from the top bunk. "Right there in the laundry room."

"Yeah, well, no one said I was afraid to show how I feel." Kenna answered, chuckling.

"Please don't tell Alec how much you two have sex because then he'll wanna try to keep up and friend I'm not built like you and Alec is definitely not built like Eliot." Kenna laughed.

"Oh I've seen the way you bend girlfriend…I'm sure Alec is very pleased with the way you do things."

"He hasn't complained." Parker answered satisfactorily.

"When do you think I should call someone about my addiction to him?" Kenna asked her friend. Parker laughed.

"When you stop wanting him every second you breathe." Was not the answer she expected from her friend.

"That's almost poetic."

"I never told you about how he was when you were gone. I didn't think it would matter but you need know." Parker flipped off the top bunk gracefully and sat on the floor next to her friends bunk. "I know you don't want to hear it but I think I need to tell you."

"I guess I forgot he hurt too."

"He barley slept and when he did he woke up screaming your name. Eliot pushed himself to recover from his injuries so he could start looking for you. He put Faith to bed every night and worked out. Getting done about two or three in the morning he'd take a shower and sit with Faith for a few hours. Maybe sleeping a little here and there but nothing any normal person would call enough sleep." Parker looked at her friend. "He was broken worse than ever." Kenna turned on her side.

"I know he was difficult." Parker snorted.

"You don't the half of it. Kenna…just know that no one in the world has what the two of you have. No one." The thief smiled at her friend. "So knock boots whenever the spirit moves you."

"Thanks Parker. I knew I could count on you, Alec, Nate and Sophie to hold him together while I was gone." Kenna closed her eyes and rolled back onto her back. "I cried for a week straight. I wasn't crying for me, I was crying for Eliot and Faith. I knew he would never leave her physically…"

"He wouldn't let any of us help with her. He did everything. If she asked us for something he told her that he would do it." Parker leaned back against the bunk and looked at the ceiling. "He did everything but sing to her."

"He loved singing her to sleep." Kenna whispered.

"Happy people sing Kenna." Was the thief's answer.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Thank you for pulling him through." Rolling over Kenna looked at Parker. "I'm turning on my com, so no more depressing talk."

"Okay." Parker bounded back on her bunk. "Night Kenna."

"Night Parker." Switching on her com, she took a deep breath. "Eliot?"

"Hey beautiful." His voice was a beacon in the darkness.

"Did you call Amy?"

"Yeah, the kids are good. Talia hid Helen on Faith again."

"That dog is gonna get it one of these days." Kenna chuckled.

"I miss you already Kenna Shane."

"I'm right there with you Eliot." She closed her eyes. "It's only six hours before your shift starts."

"After the last seven months and the dream I had…"

"You never did tell me about that dream."

"You were dead and this life didn't exist. You were in prison and this life didn't exist. I was dead and this life was over."

"Why didn't you tell this to me before?"

"Because I couldn't." He said. "I just couldn't."

"That's why the last two days have been in desperation?" He hadn't let her out of his sight for more than a few minutes at a time and when they were together he hovered more than usual. Now she knew why.

"I guess."

"When this is over Eliot James, we are gonna talk this over or fight it out, either way we're gonna figure this out."

"I know. " He said softly.

"Sing to me Eliot." Kenna whispered in the dark. "Please." He started humming a song that she had loved growing up. Smiling, she laid back and enjoyed the sound. Soon the words came and they soothed her like nothing else ever had.

"Day after day, I'm more confused  
Yet I look for the light through the pourin' rain  
You know that's a game that I hate to loose  
And I'm feelin' the strain  
Ain't it a shame

Oh, give me the beat boys and free my soul  
I wanna get lost in your rock n roll  
And drift away  
Oh, give me the beat boys and free my soul  
I wanna get lost in your rock n roll  
And drift away

Beginnin' to think that I'm wastin' time  
I don't understand the things I do  
The world outside looks so unkind  
Now I'm countin' on you  
To carry me through

Oh, give me the beat boys and free my soul  
I wanna get lost in your rock n roll  
And drift away  
Yea, give me the beat boys and free my soul  
I wanna get lost in your rock n roll  
And drift away

And when my mind is free  
You know a melody can move me  
And when I'm feelin' blue  
The guitar's comin' through  
To soothe me

Thanks for the joy that you've given me  
I want you to know I believe in your song  
And rhythm and rhyme and harmony  
You help me along  
Makin' me strong

Oh, give me the beat boys and free my soul  
I wanna get lost in your rock n roll  
And drift away  
Give me the beat boys and free my soul  
I wanna get lost in your rock n roll  
And drift away

Oh-ho, ah-no  
Give me the beat boys and free my soul  
I wanna get lost in your rock n roll  
And drift away

Hey, hey, hey, yeah  
Give me the beat boys and free my soul  
I wanna get lost in your rock n roll  
And drift away

Na, Na, now won't ya  
Won't ya take me  
Oh-ha, take me

Eliot knew Kenna was asleep. He could hear her snoring lightly.

"I'm countin' on you Parker, make sure she doesn't push her luck." Eliot knew after the first chorus that he had a bigger audience than just his wife.

"Kenna's never needed luck Eliot, she has us." She laughed. "She has you." Eliot wondered where the hell everyone got the idea that having him as a husband made Kenna superwoman.

"Get some sleep. See you in the morning."

"Night Eliot." He listened to the quiet breathing of his wife and friend. Taking a long drag from his bottle of beer he laid back against the head board. Whoever messed with the trail at the farm wasn't a pro. The tracks Mateo had found were fresh but the trap wasn't. It didn't add up. Setting his beer on the bedside table he closed his eyes. He would figure it out. He needed to figure it out. Sleep wouldn't be easy tonight but he knew he needed to rest because tomorrow he needed to be at his best if they were going to wrap this up and get the hell out of prison.


	6. Chapter 6

Fall Into Darkness

Old Friends and New Enemies

"_Kenna! Parker! You got company coming."_ Hardison voice echoed in the two women's ears. They didn't move but they both were on alert.

"_Don't be afraid to fight back."_ Eliot's voice was quiet. _"I'd rather you kick their ass and_ _be blown than get hurt."_ The sound of the cell door opening sent a chill up his spine. _"Fight back Kenna Shane."_ He whispered. The sounds of struggling echoed through his ear bud.

"What the hell do you want?" Kenna sounded like she was out of breath.

"You lied to me about the guard." Shelly, the big blond held Kenna down on her bunk.

"What was I gonna say?"

"Maybe 'Hey I'm fucking the new guy so if you need anything, just ask'."

"I fucked him twice…hell we're not even on a first name basis yet." She struggled against the woman and she glanced at Parker. "You let me go now and I let you live." Kenna ground out. Shelly loosened her grip on Kenna and was flattened before she could take another breath. "You picked the wrong bitch to mess with sweetheart." Throwing the woman up against the wall, Kenna pinned her arm behind her. "If you want to get the whole scoop on my love life, tomorrow morning will be soon enough." She threw the woman out of the cell and turned to the red head who was standing with an arm around Parker's neck. "Let her go Karen or I'll throw your dead body out of here in ten seconds." The young woman released her grip from around the thief's neck and nearly ran out the cell door. Kenna slammed it shut behind her and looked at Parker. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Parker sat up. "How about you?"

"I'm good."

"_You're not okay."_ Eliot growled in her ear_. "You're holdin' your left wrist." _She looked down at her wrist. There was a bruise starting to form.

"It's just a bruise Eliot." She looked at the camera concealed in the corner. Lifting her arm up, she showed him. "I've gotten worse sparing with you."

"_I'm pullin' the two of you out of there tonight." _He answered curtly.

"Eliot, come on. Nate and Sophie almost have Lafferty on the hook and the other three are going to make Kellen's life a living hell if we don't get them sent to the supermax. One more day." She pleaded. "I know we can nail them Eliot." God, she knew how to play him. The softness of her voice and the drawl became more pronounced. Damn her.

"_Tomorrow. If she doesn't ask you to plan her escape by the end of our second shift tomorrow I don't care what you or Nate say, you and Parker are walking out of there with_ _us."_ Eliot had always trusted Nate, but he trusted his instincts more and his gut was telling him this was going go south fast.

"Okay." Kenna answered. "Your shift starts in two hours. Get some sleep."

"_How do you know I didn't sleep?"_

"Because we were. You and Hardison were watching the cameras. Rest Eliot. Please." There was that tone again.

"_Okay. Night, I love you."_

"Night Cowboy." Kenna took out her ear bud and put it in her pocket. Parker smiled.

"You let me listen into you and Eliot's conversations, why wouldn't I let you listen to mine and Alec's?"

"Because I just had pretzels with my husband four hours ago and I know you can't say that." Kenna smiled and laid down on the bottom bunk and tried to pretend she was sleeping.

"You're a good friend Kenna." Parker hopped on her bunk and had a heart to heart with the hacker of her dreams.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

"So you're sleeping with the new guy." Shelly sat across from Kenna.

"I fucked the new guy, yeah." She played with her breakfast, not looking up at the younger woman.

"So what's he doing for you?"

"Giving me orgasms." Kenna answered tersely. Parker sat next to her and laughed.

"So you're in it for the sex?" The woman asked. Kenna looked up at her.

"Maybe."

"I like you." The woman smiled. "We're getting out of here soon and I need a new crew. I don't know about your quiet friend here but we could use a woman like you."

"We're a team. You don't get one without the other." Shelly looked at Parker.

"What does she bring to the table?"

"Everything. She's the thief. I'm just the muscle." Kenna looked into the eyes of the younger woman. "You want my help, it's both or nothing at all."

"Okay, I'll run it by my boss." Shelly looked up at the cat walk where Eliot was standing. "Is he as good as he looks?" Kenna glanced up, she smiled.

"Better." She looked back at the mark. "What's the plan?"

"We're out of here in three days. You can walk out of here with us."

"Walk out?" Kenna questioned.

"Hell yeah. The warden is going to let us walk out the door." She smiled at her two friends sitting next to her.

"Are you sleeping with her?" Kenna joked.

"No, my boss has his ways." The woman looked at her.

"Who is this boss of yours?" Leaning back Kenna glanced at up at Eliot who was leaning casually on the railing.

"I'll talk to him and if he's okay with it you'll know then." Shelly looked at her. "See if you can get anything from your fuck friend up there."

"Like I said, we're not even on a first name basis yet."

"But you let him bang you in the laundry room?"

"Like you haven't fucked a guy without knowing his name." Kenna chuckled.

"It's Jake Westfall." Parker said quietly. "He's been with corrections for ten years."

"She does speak." Karen looked at the blond thief.

"When she's motivated." was Kenna's answer. Standing, she picked up her tray. "When you get your answer let me know." Parker got up and followed as they dropped off their trays and headed to their cell.

"You hooked her." Parker walked next to her friend.

"Yeah. I guess we did." Eliot came up behind them.

"I don't like where this is going Kenna." He growled.

"You told me to get the plan out of Shelly and I'm getting the damn plan." Turning around she looked her husband in the eye. "I don't want to be here anymore than you do."

"I know." All he wanted to do was take her out of this place. "Find out when and where this is going down so we can get the hell out of here." He turned around and went back to his post.

"He's a little tense." Parker said.

"Yeah, that's an understatement." Kenna threw herself on her cot. "We all need to get the hell out of here."

"You feel it too?"

"I can't think about it now." Kenna looked at her friend.

"We'll get through this Kenna. Whatever it is." She knew Parker was right. This job was keeping them from worrying about when the other shoe would fall.

"Thanks." Karen stood at the cell door.

"You're in." The woman said and then turned and walked away.

"Well that was swift and to the point." Parker looked at her friend. Kenna turned on her come.

"It's on Nate."

"_Keep us informed when she tells you the details." Nate answered._

"You'll be the second one to know. How's things on your end?"

"_Going good. We should be home by Friday."_

"Sounds like a plan, Nate."

"_How are you holding up?"_

"I'm fine."

"Good to know. Stay safe and stay in touch." The com went silent. Kenna looked up to see Eliot standing at her cell door.

"You have a visitor." He said, emotionless. She stood up and looked at him.

"Is this how we're gonna play this?" He looked her in the eye.

"Let's just finish it." Moving aside he let her pass. He grabbed her arm. "I really have a bad feeling about this."

"Yeah, me too." She whispered. Walking down the hall with Eliot following there was a tension between them. Anyone looking at them wouldn't be able to tell but Parker watched them and knew. It was like they had a fight and had yet to make up. But they weren't fighting. That's what scared her.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

"Kelsey Newman?" The man stood when Kenna entered the room. She looked at him.

"Yeah, and you are?" Sitting across from him she looked as bored as she dared.

"We have mutual friends." He said. Kenna knew his kind. The man behind the suit was a con artist plain and simple.

"I have two friends in this world and neither one of them would have you as one of their friends so what does that make you now?"

"Someone who wants to make your stay here…more brief."

"I like brief."

"Good then. We'll be in touch." He handed her an envelope and stood. "I would say it was pleasure but that would be an understatement." He turned, leaving Kenna seated at the table holding the envelope.

"Who was that guy, Hardison?"

"He's Lafferty's middle man, as far as I can tell." The door opened again and Eliot came back into the room. He may have looked angrier than when he had deposited her there five minutes ago. Kenna slid the envelope in her jumpsuit.

"C'mon." He growled. Kenna went through the door. "You okay?"

"Yeah." She walked silently to the first set of doors. They waited for the guard to open it. "How did he get the envelope through?"

"Lafferty must have some guards on the payroll." The door opened and Eliot pushed her through the door and down the corridor. "You go find out what's in that envelope and we'll figure out our plan."

"Eliot…" Kenna turned to him.

"Get back to your cell." He said tersely.

"I…"

"Kenna just do it." He turned and headed back up to the cat walk and his assigned post. She turned and headed to her cell. It was going to be a long three days if Eliot was going to treat her like the enemy.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"It's the plans to the prison." Kenna looked at Parker.

"_They want you to plan the prison break?"_ Nate asked.

"That's what it looks like." The two women looked at the plans.

"It's a cake walk, Nate. I mean this prison is nothing like the one we broke you out of. It's years behind in security measures." Parker told them. "We can have them out in less than an hour."

"_Then make the plan."_ Nate responded. _"Eliot, you have the three women in sight?"_

"_Yeah, they look real jumpy and I'm not likin' it."_ he answered.

"_Keep an eye on them 'till Kenna and Parker make contact."_

"You got it boss." Kenna turned off her com.

"Something's wrong." She said to Parker.

"Eliot seemed angrier than usual."

"Yeah. I gotta find out what's going on with him." Kenna stood and headed for the door.

"We have to plan this. Nate doesn't want us with the population 'till we get it done."

"Then do it and I'll go talk to Eliot."

"Maybe you should stay here." Parker stood but Kenna was already gone. Turning on her com, she quietly spoke. "Eliot, Kenna's on her way to see you and she's not happy."

"_Why didn't you stop her?"_

"Stop her Eliot? The woman can kick my ass with one hand tied behind her back." The thief grabbed the plans and slipped out into the corridor. "_'Why didn't you stop her?' _ She said in her tiny whiny voice_. _"Have you tried to stop Kenna when she has a bee in her bonnet?"

"_Parker, knock it off and find her."_ Eliot said just as the explosion rocked him back against a wall.

"Eliot!" Kenna's voice echoed through the corridor. "What the hell happened?" The gates were slamming shut. The blast had triggered a lock down.

"_Go find Parker. The blast was somewhere near your cell."_ Kenna turned and ran, the doors nearly shutting on her. She saw Parker lying between the next door about to shut. Sliding she grabbed the thief's arm and pulled her out of the way before the door wielding six hundred pounds of pressure crushed her.

"I got her Eliot." Kenna assessed her injuries. "Parker, honey…wake up." checking her pulse. "Eliot! Get us out of here. Parker's in bad shape."

"I'm on my way." Eliot knew that he wasn't going to get through without a little help. But by the look of things, help wasn't coming anytime soon.


	7. Chapter 7

Fall Into Darkness

Darkness Falls

"How bad?" Eliot said from behind the bars that separated them.

"No visible trauma." Kenna looked up at her husband. "I think she might have hit her head."

"The bomb went off in your cell." He looked around. "I'll find a way out; you take care of Parker."

"Eliot, where is everyone else? I mean Parker wasn't the only one in her cell."

"Maybe they had a heads up." Eliot tried his radio and coms. "Everything's down." He looked around. "Give me a minute." He left and Lafferty's women came down the corridor. Kenna looked up.

"Sorry your friend got caught up in the tussle." The woman was up against the wall before she could take another breath. Kenna wanted to take Karen and snap her neck right then and there.

"You messed with the wrong bitch and your gonna pay," Kenna seethed "right now do what you have to get your ass as far away from me as possible because I will plow through you to get my friend any help I can."

"We have a way out. She wasn't supposed to be in the cell." Blake looked at Kenna holding Karen up against the wall. "We'll help you get her out of here."

"She's hurt bad and she'll need medical treatment. Unless you have a doctor waiting out there for us she needs to stay in here." Kenna would love to just snap the woman's neck. "Why didn't you give me a warning?"

"I did but you were too busy chasing the dick guard." Kenna pressed the woman harder against the wall.

"Get the hell out of here before I make sure they find your bodies under the rubble." She turned the younger woman around and shoved her across the hall and bent down to check on Parker. "Come on sweetie, don't do this to me. Don't do this to Alec. Wake up." The three women disappeared just as Eliot came back with Alec and a first aid bag.

"You okay?" Eliot asked.

"They're making their move."

"Nate can worry about them. How's Parker."

"Still out. I don't see any signs of trauma Eliot."

"I got Kellen getting you two out of there as soon as she can contain the breech." Hardison had been unusually quiet.

"She's breathing Alec." Kenna looked at her friend. "Are you?"

"I never…she never sits still. Ever."

"I won't let anything happen to her."

"Kenna, you can't make a promise like that." He looked at her.

"The hell I can't." She went back to taking care of her friend.

"My wife doesn't make promises she can't keep Hardison." Eliot told his friend. Three more guards came running up to them.

"You got this?" one asked Eliot.

"Yeah, I got the warden working on this gate."

"Okay. We're securing the perimeter." They took off.

"Eliot…I can take her out the hole in the cell if…I don't want them to shoot me."

"I got it." Eliot pressed his com. "Nate, send a medic to the hole in the east wall. Parker's down and Kenna needs back up."

"_I'm on it. Can you get to her from where you are?"_

"No. But me and Hardison are coming around."

"I'm staying here." Hardison looked down at Parker. "In case she wakes up." Eliot nodded and headed to find Nate.

"Alec…" Kenna reached through the bars. "It's gonna be okay."

"I had this big plan…after this job I was going to take her to that place in Hawaii she loves."

"Wailua Falls?"

"Yeah…she took me there when we were there for your wedding and last year when we went to visit McGarret. She knew all the history and all the little places around the Falls." He looked at Parker lying lifeless on the cold cement. "I was going to ask her to marry me."

"You will ask her to marry you, Alec. She's gonna be okay."

"When you went missing we put everything on hold. Sophie and me had to hold the whole lot of them together and we were finally getting back to the way it was."

"I'm sorry."

"You didn't plan on getting your ass kidnapped. I should have done it years ago. I just got comfortable. Even after Sophie and Nate got married and she looked at me like I was never going to love her like that."

"You love her Alec. That's all that matters."

"She doesn't know how much."

"She knows." The sound of people coming down the hall made Kenna go back to Parker. Nate came with a paramedic.

"How is she?" Nate looked at her.

"I didn't want to move her. Pulse is good, breathing is normal." The warden stood next to Hardison on the other side of the bars.

"We rounded up all the inmates. Lafferty is heading for the airport."

"Sophie's got that covered." Nate watched as Kellen Blair unlocked the door separating them from each other.

"I'm sorry this got out of hand." The warden said sadly. Kenna stood and left Parker to the paramedics. Nate put his arm around her.

"It wasn't your fault Kellen." Hardison said. "We know what the risks are." Nate nodded. Parker had rarely been hurt working a job. Eliot and Kenna yes but never Parker.

"You and Eliot… go with Hardison and Parker." He said as the paramedics loaded the thief onto the gurney. "I'm going to make sure Sophie wraps this up tight." Nate left. Eliot came from behind the wall.

"I got a change of clothes for you." He handed Kenna a bag. "They got the three women heading for the woods."

"I hope they shot the lot of them." The three friends headed toward the front gate. Eliot looked at Hardison. The man had never been anything less than upbeat, even when Kenna had gone missing. Today was the first time the hitter had seen grief in the hackers eyes.

"She's gonna be okay, Hardison. Next to Kenna she's the toughest woman I know."

"Parker doesn't know how to quit." Kenna encouraged.

"I hope you're right." Hardison answered softly. She took his hand.

"When am I wrong Alec Hardison?" She was fighting back the tears. Hardison laughed.

"Girl, you're insane, you know that?" He smiled at his friends. Things might just be okay.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Eliot sat next to his wife in the waiting room of the hospital. He hated waiting just as much as he hated hospitals. Checking his watch for the tenth time in as many minutes, Kenna reached out and took his hand.

"Are you okay?" Eliot didn't do scared…or even nervous.

"Yeah, how are the kids?"

"Amy says they're good. She also wants to know why Jakes is charging a five dollar scaring fee now when they deliver a pizza to our address." Eliot laughed.

"We may just start paying for their delivery crew's therapy." Kenna leaned against him.

"I will gladly pay for a shrink if it means we can keep naked pizza night on the menu." She kissed his cheek.

"Honey I won't argue with that." Eliot looked at his wife. "She is going to be okay, right?"

"Yeah. I haven't a doubt in my mind." He held her close.

"I never thought about her as anything but alive and vibrant. I never see the team without her."

"And you won't. " They sat quietly and waited for news on their friend.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

"There is no visible sign of trauma. We did a CAT scan and a MRI." The doctor looked at Kenna and Eliot as Hardison sat slumped over in the chair next to them.

"Did you do a tox screen and chem panel?" Kenna was grasping at straws. She had only been a few seconds from Parker when the wall blew but someone might have gotten to her first.

"Her white cell count was a little high but nothing to be concerned about." The doctor looked more concern then he was letting on.

"What do you think is wrong?"

"I can honestly say I don't know. We're running every test imaginable on her. We'll figure this out." The doctor nodded and left. Kenna sat next to Alec and put her arm around him.

"They will figure it out Alec." He looked at her. Kenna was always the optimist. Nate and Sophie came up to them.

"It's all wrapped up." Nate looked at his hacker. "How's she doing?"

"Still unconscious." Eliot answered.

"I'm going to get her transfer to Boston after the next round of test." Kenna said as she stood. "There is bound to be someone at Boston General who can deal with this better than the doctors here. "

"Kenna…" Hardison stopped her from going to the nurses' station. "Should she be moved?"

"I'll make sure they take every precaution." She left her friends.

"She's not going to stop till she gets her way, is she?" Hardison looked at Eliot. The hitter shook his head.

"One thing I know about my wife is that she gets a bone and she'll chew on it till the meats gone." He patted his friend on the back. "Just go with it."

"Okay. I would do anything for Parker."

"I know, man. We all would." Nate and Sophie sat next to them. It was going to be a long night.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"You need some rest Kenna." Eliot stood next to his wife who was sitting on the chair next to Parker's bed.

"Hardison went down to get something to eat. We can't leave him alone."

"Nate's coming down for a few hours. It's been a long day." He rubbed her shoulders gentally. "Faith wants you to call her before bed."

"Okay." Nate and Hardison both came it that the same time. Kenna stood. "Call if you need anything." She hugged both her friends.

"Make sure she gets some sleep Eliot." Hardison told Eliot.

"Yeah, I will try." The left the hospital and walked to the hotel less than a block away where Nate had gotten them a room. "You okay darlin'?" Eliot held his wife's hand.

"I'm just worried about Parker." She walked slowly not ready to be ushered into the confines of the hotel room. "I wish there was something I could do."

"Parker is a fighter, baby. She will get through this." Kenna stopped at a park bench and sat.

"I don't want to go inside yet." Eliot sat next to her. "I missed the sunsets the most."

"You were in prison for like a day." She laughed.

"I mean when I was I gone all those months." Crossing her legs she looked up at the sky. "I never watched one in all those months."

"Why not?"

"Because the last one I watched, I watched with you and Faith on the roof of the apartment building."

"The night of the party. You rocked Faith to sleep and we barely had time to make it there."

"Maybe we should have taken that as a sign." She laid her head on Eliot's shoulder. "When I close my eyes I see you lying on the tarmac with that piece of metal in your shoulder. I see Faith crying for me…for us and it makes it hard for me to focus on what needs to be done."

"If you hadn't come after me today, you would have been hurt to. Did you think about that?"

"Every minute since it happened." Closing her eyes she melted into him. "They wanted us dead."

"You would have been if the two of you hadn't left the cell when you did." Eliot ran his hand down her back. "Kenna, when that bomb went off…" She looked up. "I held it together the last seven months 'cause I knew you were alive." He kissed her. "If you were dead I don't think I could."

"You would. For Faith and Chance."

"Hardison doesn't have that. He's got Parker, that's it."

"Then Parker needs to get better." Kenna stood and pulled Eliot off the bench. "Buy me a cheeseburger."

"You're insane." She walked toward the truck stop across from the hotel.

"And I'm all yours Spencer." He chuckled and followed her across the road.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

"Kenna?" Eliot shook his wife. She had fallen asleep not five minutes after walking back from the truck stop. Still in her jeans and tank top she was curled up in the fetal position. "Girl, you need to wake up and get under the covers."

"Only if your coming to bed." She said, not opening her eyes.

"I'm going to take a shower and then I'll be there."

"You better be." She didn't move or even try to get under the covers. Taking off his shirt and throwing it on the bed he headed to the shower. He was three minutes in when he felt the cool air hit him. A full thirty seconds later the curtain pulled back and Kenna stepped into the small shower stall.

"I guess you weren't that tired." Her hands wrapped around him. She let the water hit her and smiled.

"Been a long time since we shared a shower cowboy."

"You would have thought with a shower as big as ours we would have been doing it in there more often." Eliot leaned down and kissed her. "We're getting to old to be doing things other than showering in hotel bathrooms Kenna Shane." She knew that But she loved to feel him hold her under the warm spray of water.

"Can we just stay here for a little while?" He ran his hand down her hair and back.

"Yeah, darlin'." He held her close and let the water run over them. Eliot knew that she was crying. Her tears fell more freely when masked by the warm water. "She's gonna to be okay baby."

"I know." Kenna took a deep breath. "I know." When the water started running cold Eliot turned it off and grabbed two towels from the rack. He wrapped one around her and one around his waist and helped her out of the shower.

"You need some rest Kenna." He looked into her brown eyes.

"I need you Eliot." She kissed him. No had never been much in his vocabulary when it came to Kenna but he looked at the dark circles under her eyes and knew sleep was what she needed.

"Darlin' you have me but right now you need rest." He pushed her back on the bed. "Sleep."

"You know you can't deny me Spencer." She let the towel fall open. Eliot looked at his wife. She was right. Even with broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and a fractured collar bone he hadn't said no to her. He knew she needed to feel alive. To feel that energy that made her emotions over take her.

"Kenna…" Eliot knew that no wasn't an option with the storm that was brewing in her brown eyes. "How about we sleep…and when we wake up…"

"Will you actually sleep?" He smiled. She knew him too well. He reached for her hand and pulled her up and pulled back the covers. Kenna crawled in and he followed, letting his towel drop to the floor. He pulled her into his arms.

"I'll do the best I can but you me and sleep aren't the best of friends." Kenna ran her hand down his chest.

"I know how to make sleep come easier." She whispered in his ear.

"Baby, the more you touch me the harder it's gonna be for me to get any sleep." Kenna smiled and kissed down his chest. "Kenna…" He rolled her on her back and kissed her slowly as he pressed slowly in to her. "Your gonna be the death of me woman." He ground out into her ear. She wrapped her legs around him and whispered.

"You wouldn't have it any other way cowboy." He knew she was right. If he died right here and now he would die happy and he would have no regrets. "I love you." Kenna whispered in his ear.

"Not as much as I love you." Faith would get them through this rough patch and their love would help keep their friends strong. Eliot knew Kenna needed to sleep but he also knew she needed to feel the love he had for her. Slowly he showed just how much her love meant to him.


	8. Chapter 8

Fall Into Darkness

A Life Worth Living

The next morning Kenna helped the nurse prepare Parker for the trip to Boston. Eliot had taken Hardison down for some breakfast and to clear the younger man's head. Kenna knew what it was like to wait by the bedside of the person you loved most. She looked at the blonde thief.

"You need to wake up Parker." Kenna brushed the blonde hair away from her face. "You're driving our man Hardison nuts, you know that?" She sat next to her friend. "But you know that don't you." Taking Parker's hand in hers she closed her eyes. "This is not a game my friend. You need to open your eyes."

"Any change?" Nate came up behind her.

"No. It's like she just…fell asleep."

"It's just like her not to get up until she's ready." Kenna chuckled.

"Faith isn't gonna stand for this you know." She told Parker. "She expects you to take her to the zoo to see the hippos when we get home."

"I think Faith is just what Parker needs." Nate looked at the two women in front of him. "Nobody can ignore that force of nature."

"I hope so. I'll have Amy bring her to the hospital as soon as she gets settled."

"How are you doing?"

"Other than a lack of sleep and getting carpal tunnel researching why Parker won't wake up I'm peachy. You?"

"I got a call from the adoption agency in the Ukraine."

"Oh Nate…that's wonderful."

"Now is not the time to bring a child into the fold."

"When is the time with this crew Nate? We always have some kind of drama waiting around the corner." Kenna stood. "This is your chance at a family."

"I have a family. Hardison, Parker, Eliot and you. Your kids. Sophie."

"Nate…we'll always be your family, but a child…"

"I'm scared Kenna." He put his hands in his pockets and turned to look out the window. "I nearly lost my mind when Sam died. That kind of love is a once in a lifetime kind of love."

"Sam would want you to be happy Nate."

"I know. I just haven't let the whole thing sink in yet." He turned back to Kenna.

"Kids are a blessing Nate. I know Faith was an accident and maybe so was Chance but I wouldn't trade them for anything."

"But you gave birth to them."

"If you're having second thoughts go visit Jodi and Charlie." Kenna pulled out her wallet and handed the picture she had gotten from her sister in law the day before they left. "You tell me who was born to that family and who wasn't." He knew that Sarah and Grace had been adopted by Eliot's sister and her husband but the four children in the picture looked like they had been together all their lives. The two girls were as much a part of them as Kyle and Elaina.

"You do know how to convince a person." He smiled. "I guess I should go see if Hardison can get me and Sophie on a flight tonight."

"You do that. Eliot and I will take care of Parker."

"Do you really think she'll be okay?"

"I think a few days at home and some hippo love, she'll be as good as new." Kenna smiled. "Boy or girl?"

"I didn't ask. Sophie wanted to be surprised." That sounded like Sophie.

"You need to do this Nate. We'll all be here to help." He wasn't sure he could do this. Loving Kenna and Eliot's children was easy. They were as close as he wanted to get to having his own kids again for a very long time. "What's holding you back?"

"I just don't know if I can love another child like I loved Sam."

"You love my kids like they were your own Nate. This child will be no different." She looked the mastermind in the eye. "You and Sophie have so much love to give." Eliot came into the room carrying coffee. "Don't make me get Eliot to convince you, cause that could get messy." She whispered in his ear.

"We ready to blow this joint?" Eliot looked at his wife and friend.

"Nate and Sophie have to make a little side trip." Kenna smiled. "We'll be home waiting. For all of you." She said and turned to help the nurse prepare Parker for the trip.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"Auntie Parker?" Faith sat on the hospital bed, her tiny hands on each side of her favorite aunts face. "You need to wake up, pweeeese." Eliot held Kenna with her back against his chest and watched his daughter talk to Parker. When her mother had told her about the thief's condition the three year old demanded to see her.

"If the sound of her angry voice doesn't bring Parker out of this, I don't know what will." Kenna closed her eyes and let the feeling of Eliot's hands on her shoulders relax her.

"She gets her bossiness from her mother." He whispered in her ear.

"I know. The poor kid." Faith looked at them.

"Mama?" Kenna opened her eyes.

"Yeah, baby?"

"She's not wakin' up." Kenna pushed herself out of Eliot's arms and went to her daughter.

"She will soon, Faith." Sitting on the bed she took Faith into her lap. "Parker just needs some rest. Maybe when she's all rested up she'll open her eyes."

"She better. Amy brought me to the zoo and it wasn't the same Mama. She doesn't know how to do the voices." Kenna smiled and held her daughter close.

"I know. Parker does the best animal voices, doesn't she?" The little girl nodded. "Maybe we should get some hippo's to decorate her room so when she wakes up she'll see them."

"Can we get some new ones from the gift shop?"

"You bet. Do you want me or daddy to bring you?"

"You." She jumped off her mother's lap and went to her father. "Can we get you somthin' Daddy?" He lifted her up.

"A soda would be great, peanut." He brushed a curl behind her ear. "I'll keep an eye on Parker while you're gone."

"You better. She can be tricky Daddy." She grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him. Eliot chuckled and set the little girl on the floor.

"I'll make sure she behaves." Eliot watched his daughter and wife walk out the door. He sat on the chair next to Parker's bed. "She really misses you crazy girl." He took the thief's hand. "I miss you." He sat back not letting go of the young woman's hand. She had done it for him more than a time or two. She held his hand to help him though a tough time.

"God, I hope she has a clue of what you've been reduced to." Hardison stood in the door way. Eliot smiled a small smile.

"I'm not scared to show my soft side now and then."

"You've come a long way, my friend." He walked into the room. "What happened to the pretty half of the Spencer clan?"

"They went hippo shopping for Parker."

"Just what the woman needs is more hippos." He sat next his friend. "How long do we wait?"

"Kenna said that because she's breathing on her own Parker could come out at anytime."

"Or stay this way for a very long time."

"Don't think that way man. Parker does everything in her way in her own time." Eliot looked at his friend. "She won't be out of the game for long Hardison." He looked back at Parker's lifeless body. "I almost walked away after Moreau took off in that plane to San Lorenzo."

"You were pretty messed up."

"Yeah, more than I like to admit. Parker made us take the train back to Boston. I wanted to strangle you and Nate for letting her get her way." Hardison remembered a whole lot of complaining from Eliot that day. He knew there was something he wasn't telling them but after being thrown in a pool, handcuffed to a chair he didn't care what Eliot was feeling.

"You were a little tense."

"To say the least. I hid away in the back car hoping that damn train would derail and take me with it." Eliot ran his thumb over the top of Parker's hand. "She sat next to me and I nearly threw her out the window. She had this grin on her face that I had never seen before. Damn crazy girl was glowing." Hardison hid his smile behind his hand. He knew why Parker had been feeling a little high that day and it had nothing to do with blowing up the Ramshorn. "She looked at me and grabbed my hand and told me that whatever I did, past, present or future made us who we are. Maybe if things had been different we might not have ever met. Then she touched my cheek and told me that her life wouldn't be the same because she let the four of us into her life. Her life was better, she was a better person because of us. A grifter, a hacker, a drunken mastermind and a hitter who had done unspeakable things made her a better person."

"She worried about you for a long time. That's why she started sleeping at the apartment. Mine, yours, Nate's. She was afraid you might not recover from that day." Eliot looked at Hardison. "We all were. I mean it got better after we put Moreau behind bars but you sank pretty low."

"Then Kenna knocked on my door." Eliot looked back at Parker. "I was gonna leave the team after we got back from San Lorenzo but something held me here. That day, I had my bag packed and had one foot out the door."

"You never mentioned that before."

"You and Parker convinced me to go after her. Find out why, after twenty years she came looking for my help." He smiled. "Then made me see that we had something more than just great sex keeping us together."

"Hell great sex is a good reason to be together." They both chuckled. Eliot felt the hand in his move.

"Parker?" Eliot sat straight up from his lacks position. The two men looked at her, hoping to see her eyes flutter and open but they didn't. Faith came in just then and without warning jumped on the bed with a good sized polka dotted hippo.

"PARKER! Look what me and Mama found for ya." The little girl crawled up and perched the stuffed animal on her aunt's stomach. "She's gots dots." Before Eliot or Hardison could stop the speed demon she was in her aunts face, nose to nose her chubby little hands on either side of the woman's face. "Wake up and see what I got you." Kenna was at the door, clearly breathless from chasing the girl from the gift shop.

"We…she…eight flights…I…" Taking a deep breath she looked at her daughter. "Faith Valentine! Get off your Aunt Parker." Eliot looked at his daughter then his wife.

"It's okay." The voice was soft and clearly coming from Parker's lips. "Inside voice Faith." Three adults and one very excited child looked at the woman in the bed.

"Parker?" Faith smiled. "Are you done sleepin'?"

"I guess so." She looked at Eliot and Hardison. "What happened?"

"You got knocked out at the prison. The doctors said that they couldn't find any medical reason why you were unconscious." Eliot let go of her hand and let Hardison next to his girlfriend.

"You were sleeping for a long time Auntie Parker." Faith smiled. "I got you a polka dotted hippo."

"Oh, he is just so cute." Parker said, smiling at the three year old bundle of energy. "Thank you." Looking at the adults Parker noticed the worried looks on their faces. "I'm okay, really." The little girl laid her head on her chest. Running her hand down the silky black curls she looked up at Hardison. "Really…stop looking like I have one foot in the grave."

"We were worried about you, that's all mama." Hardison reached for her hand.

"Where are Sophie and Nate?"

"They had some business in the Ukraine." Kenna answered.

"A baby?" Parker's eyes lit up.

"A child…I don't know if it's a baby. Nate didn't know the specifics." Parker smiled.

"This family is getting pretty big." She said.

"That it is." Kenna smiled. "We should get the doctor in her and then head home Eliot. Parker and Alec need some time alone." There was fear in the thief's eyes.

"Please stay, at least till the doctor…checks me out." Eliot nodded.

"Anything you need darlin'." He smiled. "Do you want me to take Faith?" Parker shook her head.

"I missed her. I missed all of you." Tears welled up in her eyes. "I never missed anything before. I mean I…I never felt the emptiness like that." She looked at her friends. "I could feel it even when I wasn't able to open my eyes." Touching Hardison's hand she smiled. "I felt your love. In my heart."

"You know we love you Auntie Parker." Faith looked at her favorite person next to her parents and brother. "Don'tcha know that silly." How could Parker explain to the little girl that she didn't grow up with the love of family and friends like she was most defiantly doing?

"I know that now." She had a strange dream while she was unconscious. A dream of life without her friends, without the little girl with big blue eyes and dark curls and so much love to share.

"Faith say goodbye to Auntie Parker so she and Uncle Alec can talk." Kenna reached for the girl. The little girl looked at her parents and back to her aunt.

"Okay, but I'll be back." Faith kissed Parker. "I will bring Chance next time."

"Okay." Parker smiled. Faith bounded off her bed and into her father's arms.

"I love you Auntie Parker."

"I love you too sweet pea."

"Take care crazy girl." Eliot smiled and took Faith out of the room. Kenna leaned over and kissed her friends cheek.

"We'll come back later and see what the doctor says." The thief nodded.

"Don't be gone long." She whispered.

"You can't get rid of me that easily." Kenna stood and headed to join her husband and daughter.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"He's acting funny." Parker said later that afternoon. Chance had been crabby and unreasonable so Kenna had stayed home with the baby and Faith and sent Eliot to relieve Hardison for a few hours while he showered and shaved.

"Define funny?"

"He's hovering. Almost stifling."

"You've been in a coma for nearly a week Parker. I think he's just a little worried about you."

"Why? I'm a big girl Eliot. I don't need Hardison hovering over me like I'm a child."

"Because he loves you crazy girl." Eliot stood and went to the window. "You know how close to crazy I got because Kenna was gone?" He didn't wait for an answer. "You were right here but you were a million miles away and he couldn't do a damn thing about it."

"I had strange dreams Eliot. Dreams about a life without any of you in it. Dreams about what my life would have been like." Eliot turned back to her. "Sometimes it was just that I didn't do that first job with Nate. Other times it was things had changed. You didn't go after Kenna that first day or you died when the mob guy shot you."

"You had these dreams while you were unconscious?" He saw her fidgeting with her sheet.

"Yeah. I couldn't wake up and then Faith was yelling at me. Pulling me out of the fog I was lost in." Tears were falling down her cheeks. "Some of those dreams she didn't exist and some of them Hardison never…he never loved me."

"I had similar dreams when I got thrown from my horse last week." Parker's eyes got wide. "Different ways my life coulda gone." He turned back toward the window. "Life without love really does suck, doesn't it?"

"Why would we have similar dreams? Dreams about life without each other?"

"Because we're the most broken. You never knew love till now and I never thought I deserved it." He sat on the chair next to the bed. "You do know how much you mean to all of us right?"

"Is love always like this?" She whispered.

"Like what?"

"Off kilter and overwhelming?" Eliot chuckled.

"Darlin' you don't know the half of it. Faith has known love from the first day of her life and she gives it more freely then any person should but who I'm I to tell her how to love when it took me a lifetime to find out what it meant to be loved."

"Because you want her to know that kind of love exists." Parker smiled. "You and Kenna taught me not to be scared of love. I just didn't know what it felt like till now. I know Hardison has told me he loves me and Faith has too. But how was I to know that rollercoaster feeling in my stomach was me being loved and loving them back." She smiled. "How come you didn't tell me it felt like the flu?" He laughed.

"I guess I never thought of it that way." She looked like a scared twelve year old in the bed with the polka dotted hippo sitting on her lap and her knees up to her chin. "We'll figure it all out crazy girl. I promise." Parker looked at him. Next to Hardison, she trusted Eliot more than anything and she knew that he would figure it out sooner or later but for now she was content knowing her family loved her just as much as she loved them.


	9. Chapter 9

Fall Into Darkness

Into The Ukraine

"It's been three days, Eliot." Kenna paced back and forth in front of the couch. Her husband looked up from the magazine he was reading.

"What's been three days?"

"Nate and Sophie haven't called in three days."

"Darlin', they are in the middle of bum fuck nowhere." He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You know that cell reception is sketchy at best."

"They have real live phones in the Ukraine, Eliot. They may still have rotary phones in some of the more desolate areas but they do have phones."

"They flew out in the middle of the night and got there in the middle of the night Kenna. With the hours we put in on the last job and the jet lag they probably just passed out for a day before they picked up the kid."

"Do you really think that, Eliot? Do you really think Nate wouldn't call one of us to say they landed safely no matter how tired he was?" Her brown eyes were clouded with worry. He stood and went to his wife.

"Give it a little while longer darlin'." He kissed her. "They're just excited about the adoption and forgot to check in."

"Nate doesn't forget to check in. If it was one of us he would be worried."

"Kenna if it was one of us he would have every right to be worried." He knew that she wasn't in the mood to joke but he needed to lighten her up a bit. "I'll go talk to Hardison. I hope Parker is sleeping. She doesn't need any more stress." He turned to go to the door but Kenna stopped him.

"I'm sorry…I just… "

"I know Kenna. " He kissed the top of her head and went to talk to Hardison.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"I tried calling both cells and I got nothin'." Hardison looked at the computer screen in front of him. "I'm tracking the signal now but the satellites over the Ukraine are as old as Sputnik." He turned and looked at Eliot. "Do you really think they might be in trouble?"

"I know my wife doesn't worry about things and when she does I better look into it." Eliot sat on the chair next to the hacker. "How's Parker doing?"

"She's quiet. It's kinda scary."

"The quiet is the scariest part. I thought after Kenna came home that I would cherish the quiet but sometimes it brings me back to when she wasn't there to bitch at all."

"I hear you." The computer started beeping. "Eliot…does the Ukraine still have those lousy prisons?"

"It's been awhile since I've been in one but I'm pretty sure they haven't gotten any better in the last few years. Why?" He turned the screen to face his friend. "There is no way…ahhh c'mon…damn it Hardison."

"The GPS doesn't lie." Eliot shook his head.

"How's your Russian?"

"No…no way are we going anywhere near a Ukrainian prison Eliot."

"Nate and Sophie's phones are in a Ukrainian prison, Hardison. Where do you think Nate and Sophie are?"

"Aw hell." He turned back to the computer. "Four tickets to the Ukraine, coming right up."

/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

"Parker this is non negotiable. You will work from the hotel." Eliot told her. They stood at the front door of Nate's apartment.

"Who died and made you the boss of me." She crossed her arms. Eliot rolled his eyes.

"I'm not saying it to be bossy, I'm saying it because you're not back to one hundred percent yet and I don't want you over doing it."

"If we have to break Sophie and Nate out of prison, who's going to pick the locks?" She raised her eyebrows.

"I'm pretty capable of taking care of a lock or two." Kenna said as she placed the last of her things in her bag.

"What about repelling?" The thief looked at them.

"I'm pretty sure I can handle that." Eliot said.

"What…"

"Parker just don't worry, we'll work it all out on the plane." Hardison patted her on the shoulder. Just then the door opened. Kenna looked up from what she was doing to see their nanny's boyfriend Hunter Sinclair.

"What do you want Sinclair? We have a plane to catch."

"I'm going with you." He said.

"The hell you are." Kenna picked up her bag and turned to face the man. He was six foot three, two hundred and ten pounds of muscle.

"I know that prison inside and out Kenna. I know we have shit between us but I want to help Nate and Sophie. I want to help you."

"It's a little late to slip on the white hat now Sinclair." Kenna pushed passed him but he grabbed her arm. Eliot took a step closer to them just in case he had to break the two up.

"I don't care how you feel about me but those kids of yours love Nate and Sophie like family and I will not stand by and watch them loose all of you one by one. I know how it feels Kenna and damn it I won't let that happen to them. I spent two years in that cold dark hell hole. I can help you. Let me."

"When?" She said softly, looking him in the eye.

"Five years ago. They sent me on a simple recon mission and I got caught sneaking into Kiev. It was an unauthorized mission so of course no one could claim responsibility. It took McGarret two years to get me out. I know you remember the man I was before but after two years of that place I realized what kind of man I was and what kind of person I should have been." He looked at the four people in the room. "You all changed. Why can't I." Kenna let out the breath she was holding.

"I guess I haven't given you much a reason to tell me this whole story before and I'm really sorry I didn't think you could have had reason to change." Kenna looked at her husband and friends. "I guess a fresh pair of eyes with knowledge of the place would come in handy."

"One more ticket to hell, coming right up." Hardison said as he made one more reservation to the Ukraine.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

"Did you know about his time in prison?" Kenna sat next to her husband in the darkened first class section.

"I knew he was missing in action for two years. Where he was falls under the sharpie marker law of the US Government." Eliot looked at his wife. He knew her mind was going a mile a minute. In her mind she was already in Kiev, half way to the prison.

"He was such an ass for so long. There was a time I wished him into a Cuban prison." She looked at the plans in front of her. "I know people can change Eliot, we're proof of that. But he was soulless and cold."

"Do you know his back ground?"

"I know he's an orphan. Grew up in foster care and we both know how hard that is on any kid. But the attitude he had back then…it was almost inhumane." Kenna looked across the aisle at the younger man. "But that man wouldn't have stepped up and protected our children from a man who he knew could tear him to shreds just to stay in the good graces of a girl." She looked back at Eliot. "The Hunter Sinclair I know wouldn't have volunteered to go back to that place for all the money in the world."

"So now you think he's changed?"

"I think he loves Amy and he cares about our kids." She took his hand in hers and leaned back against the seat. "Maybe he has changed but I still have this nagging feeling he's hiding something."

"Most likely his fear of you." Eliot looked at his wife. "I know you've seen his dark side Kenna, give him a chance to see his light." Kenna looked at him.

"Wow…that is profound Eliot Spencer." He kissed her hand and laid back against the seat.

"Get some rest baby." Kenna curled up in the big seat and laid her head on his chest.

"I'm worried about them Eliot."

"Me too, darlin'. Me too."

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

"Still no word from them and their phones are still in the prison." Hardison booted up the GPS screen.

"The modern part of the prison has been remolded into an orphanage." Parker looked up from the papers she was looking at. "Why would the combined an orphanage with a prison."

"Maybe they're just combining their resources." Kenna said.

"No, their covering up what's going on in the prison." Hunter looked at the map. "Gun running, drug smuggling, human trafficking, it could be anything.

"My odds are on all three." Kenna pointed to the inferred scan. "There's heat coming out of this wing and there isn't a laundry. This wing here has no heat, so it may hold guns. The orphanage probably is a crooked as they come."

"Would Nate and Sophie just walk into something like that without telling you?" Hunter looked at Eliot.

"No. They didn't tell us the name of the orphanage either. We were all too busy worrying about what was wrong with Parker. Hardison looked into it but he couldn't find anything but their plane tickets."

"It's not like Nate not to leave an itinerary for Hardison." Parker said as she scanned the plans.

"We were all out of sorts because of the prison bombing. They probably just forgot." Eliot paced the room. "Nate would have tried to call one of us by now."

"I just talked to Amy. There hasn't been a call to Nate's or your phone." Hunter pulled up Nate's phone records on one of the laptops. "The last call he made was to the Russian Consulate two days ago."

"That's where we start. Find out who Nate talked to." Eliot told Parker. "You work on that and me, Kenna and Hunter will head out to scope out the prison."

"Eliot, maybe we should stay together." Parker looked concerned.

"You and Hardison will be safe here. I would rather not have to worry about you two."

"Or you would rather not worry about the crazy girl and what might happen to her?" Parker shot back. Eliot ran his hands through his hair.

"Parker you were just in a coma for eight days." Kenna reached for her friend but she pulled away and walked to the window. "You're not strong enough to crawl though those vents."

"And you are?" Parker turned and glared at Kenna. "When was the last time you wiggled your way through an air shaft?" The thief crossed her arms over her chest.

"Parker…"

"No, Kenna…Nate and Sophie are my family too."

"Then be here for them when we bring them home." Eliot stood in front of her. "We're not punishing you crazy girl, we're protecting you. The doctors still don't know what caused your coma. The damp, cramped vents of the prison are no place for you right now." Her blue eyes met his.

"I hate feeling so helpless." She stuck out her lip and pouted.

"Hardison will have plenty for you to do. I promise." Eliot ruffled her hair like he did to Faith when she needed reassuring. "We stay in constant communication. No one turns their coms off." Eliot looked at the people in the room. "We are gonna bring Sophie and Nate home." They all nodded. Hardison pulled up the screens and they started formulating a plan.


	10. Chapter 10

Fall Into Darkness

Deep In the Heart of Hell

Kenna closed her eyes and felt the pain radiate behind them. This wasn't the time for the headaches to start.

"You okay Hawks?" She looked up at Hunter Sinclair.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Did you ever tell Eliot about the migraines?"

"I haven't had one since before I went to live in Boston."

"So then he doesn't know." She looked at him.

"It hasn't been an issue." He handed her a piece of gum.

"It helps."

"What is it?"

"One of my foster monsters had TMJ. He chewed a piece and it helped him with his aches. I started using when I blew out my knee a few years ago. It's all natural." Looking skeptical she put the piece in her mouth.

"If I die, I'm coming back to haunt your ass." Hunter smiled.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He was still cocky but he was starting to grow on her. Eliot came out of the woods behind the prison where they were camped.

"You two playin' nice?" Eliot looked at the two people in front of him.

"Oh yeah." Kenna smiled.

"I think I'm growing on her." Sinclair took the binoculars and looked toward the prison. "Anything the plans didn't tell us?"

"There's a whole new wing on the east side." Eliot looked over his shoulder. "I installed all the cameras. Hardison should be getting the footage right about now."

"Any sign of Sophie and Nate?" Kenna asked.

"Their rental car is parked in the lot next to the door to the orphanage. The doors were locked and their suitcases were in the trunk." He looked at Hunter Sinclair. He was tense. "You okay Sinclair?"

"Yeah." He looked over the Ukrainian landscape. Then the younger man shook himself out of the fog he was in. "I'll head in through the storm drain on the south side. I set the scrambler and see if I can hack into their cameras."

"We can go with you." Kenna went to get up.

"No, you two hang here, I'll call you when it's clear or I get eyes on Sophie and Nate. These guys are as mean as they come." Sinclair headed up the embankment. Kenna lay back on the hood of the car and looked up at the stars.

"Remember when we used to lay on the barn roof and look at the stars."

"You made me tell you what everyone of those constellations was."

"You never told me no." Eliot leaned on the hood.

"Kenna, I have never been able to say no to you…even back then."

_(Flashback)_

_July 1985_

"_Please tell me again Eliot."_

"_That one's Orion."_

"_That's my favorite." Eliot looked at the blond ten year old next to him. His mom had told him to keep an eye on her but she annoyed the hell out of him most days. But tonight when she told him she didn't want to go home and asked if she could stay in the hay loft he couldn't tell her no. In the three years since she had been coming around it had been getting harder and harder to make her go._

"_You need to tell someone about what's going on at your place Kenna Shane."_

"_Who would believe me?"_

"_There's people. We can call the state police."_

"_Eliot, I can't do that. My mom has lots of friends. _

_(Present)_

It was a few weeks later when Eliot found out what was really going on at Kenna's house and he took her home and taught her the things she needed to know in case they ever made her go back. But nobody came after her after the day Eliot confronted her mother. When Kenna went to visit she always came back relieved she still had a home with the Spencer's.

"I'm glad you still can't say no." Kenna leaned over and kissed him. His hand moved to cup her cheek. He deepened the kiss.

"I want to take that trip we talked about when we get home…with the kids. We've been spending way too much time away from them Kenna and I don't want them to think we're not there for them."

"I like that plan. First we have to get Aunt Sophie and Uncle Nate home safe."

"_I got them." Sinclair's voice echoed through their ear buds. "They're in the warden's office. They look fine but Sophie is wringing her hands so that can't be good."_

"Can you get them to turn on their coms?"

"_In between vent cams and the warden from hell, I don't think so. I may be able to send a small shock to one of the buds to give them a heads up."_

"Oh, lovely. Let's shock them and hope they realize it's us." Kenna sat up. "Hardison was working on a remote method to turn the coms on."

"_I'm working on it as we speak."_ Hardison answered.

"Get to it geek boy." She looked at her husband. "When was the last time you slept more than an hour?"

"Don't worry about it." He got up and went to the edge of the ravine and looked out over the prison.

"Damn it Eliot, I do worry. I have the God-given right." He turned and looked at her.

"I lose you one way or another when I close my eyes Kenna." She looked confused. "Since the whole horse accident at the farm, I lose you every time I try and sleep for more than an hour or so. I can't lose you again."

"Why didn't you say something to me before?"

"Because we have work and kids and four people who depend on us to be the back bone of this team."

"So you just don't tell me that you aren't sleeping?" She knew that since she got back from being missing for seven months that he felt the need to protect more than he ever had. "Eliot I'm reality, your reality. When you wake up I'm what you get."

"You don't know how real it felt. I've had dreams darlin'. You know I've had nightmares but Kenna those were worse than any nightmare I have ever had. I lose you to some other sick reality. It's never a better place. You're dead or I'm dead. You're in jail, hating me."

"When do you suppose the exhaustion will kill you?"

"I sleep enough." He turned back to look at the prison.

"Eliot…" She touched his shoulder but he pulled away. "Eliot, I can't lose you that way. I mean I don't ever want to lose you but it's killing you by not resting. If you're not rested how can you protect them? Protect us?" He turned back to her and saw fear in his wife's eyes. Fear for him. For what this was doing to their life, here and now.

"I'll see what I can do once we get Nate and Sophie back in one piece." Biting her lower lip she touched her husband cheek.

"We'll see what we can do. You forget I'm almost a medical professional." He smiled a small smile and took her hand and kissed the palm.

"Kenna Shane, you have always been the best medicine for me."

"Not now. It's my fault."

"Kenna, if I learned anything from my little dream lives is that my life is always better with you in it." He kissed her again. Voices of Nate and Sophie whispering echoed in there ear.

"I think Hardison turned on their coms." Eliot whispered.

"_I got the incoming but there is no way we can contact them."_ Hardison answered.

"Well at least we'll have some clue on what's going on inside." They sat and listened for a few minutes. They were fighting over how they were going to get out of their little predicament.

"Well at least I know that I wasn't paranoid about them being in trouble." Hunter came out from the bushes.

"Okay. All the surveillance is installed." Kenna looked at the two men in front of her.

"If I go to the prison door and fake being lost maybe I can get in there."

"NO!" The two men staring at her said at once. She shook her head.

"Wow, did you rehearse that?" Crossing her arms across her chest, she stared at the two men. "I'm a big girl, really."

"Those men in there are seriously bad ass, Kenna." Hunter told her.

"And I haven't dealt with that kind of trouble before?"

"Kenna…" Eliot knew about Hunter's past…a past that he didn't share with anyone. A past that made his look like a cake walk.

"They're like no other's you have ever come up against Kenna." Hunter sat on the big rock across from her. "They would kill those kids in a heartbeat if it wasn't for the revenue they bring in and the product they can move. Nate and Sophie must have stumbled into something big if they risked taking two Americans hostage." Kenna leaned against the car.

"We have to get in there." She looked at her husband. "You and me…lost tourist?"

"I can live with that." Eliot went to the trunk of the car and got a tie for his hair and his glasses. He handed Kenna a jacket. "Meet us at the back gate Sinclair. If we're not there with Sophie and Nate in an hour head back to the hotel and get Hardison and Parker the hell out of here." Hunter nodded. "Take care of my family Sinclair."

"You know I will." Kenna got into the car and Eliot slid into the drivers seat. He sat for a minute and looked at the dark, dank building.

"I love you Kenna." She looked at her husband.

"I love you too." He turned and looked her in the eye.

"Those men in there equal nothing but bad news."

"We've been down this road before. Together we can get through this."

"I know. I also know the last few months have been hard on both of us and that we lose this fight and…"

"And we keep fighting. You of all people, Eliot, should know that when things are at their darkest there is always…always a light at the end of it." He looked at the prison. "Nate and Sophie are in there and we will get them home. Them and the child they have waited for since as long as I've known them."

"You were always the pessimistic one of this team. What the hell happened?" She smiled.

"I got rescued by my own white knight." He pulled in front of the dark prison.

"You ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Eliot got out of the car and walked to the door and started banging on it.

"Hey! Anyone home?" Eliot called out. "I need some help please." He said in broken Russian. Two very big men came out of the prison.

"Eliot!" Kenna reached for the door handle

"Yeah, I see them. Did I tell you I really hate Ukrainians?"

"I know the feeling." Kenna got out of the car.

"Stay back."

"I'm not letting you walk into the flames all by your lonesome cowboy." The guards looked at the seemly harmless couple.

"Back in the car Kenna Shane, that's an order." Blue eyes collided with brown.

"You did not just give me an order Eliot Spencer?" Storming over to him the two men raised their guns. Kenna didn't even flinch when the sound of the hammers being pulled back echoed in her ear. Eliot cocked his head to one side.

"Like you'd ever listen anyway." He said between clenched teeth. Without another thought they both turned, grabbing the barrels of the guns pointed at them, disarming the two very large Ukrainian guards in a spit second. After a few strategically placed kicks and a couple of punches the men were down for the count.

"Well that was just way too easy." Kenna said as she took a deep breath. The sound of running footsteps on concrete alerted them it wasn't going to be as easy as it seemed.

"Ya had to go and jinx it, didn't ya." Eliot turned to her. "Now will you go sit in the car?" Smiling she shook her head.

"Are you kidding? And miss all the fun." Turning she saw four more men headed out the door. "We got this."

"You better hope we got this." He shook his head. Kenna never backed down from a fight but Eliot wished just once she'd know when to. They were holding their own but it the harder they fought the more pissed off the Ukrainian's became. "Get the hell out Kenna." Eliot said in between dodging punches and throwing them.

"I'm…not…leaving…you." She said, sounding as worn out as he felt. He didn't get a chance to answer because out of nowhere another guard emerged and Eliot Spencer's world went dark, the fight drained from his body. The last thing he heard was his wife calling his name and the sound of gunfire echoing off the prison walls. 


	11. Chapter 11

Fall Into Darkness

What Might Have Been

The pounding in his head wouldn't stop. He knew the Russian's had kicked his ass good but damn did it have to echo though his head like a three day drinking binge.

"Daddy?" Faith was whispering in his ear. "Mama said you need to get up now." Eliot wasn't sure why his three year old daughter was in the Ukraine but as soon as he could open his eyes someone was gonna answer to him for taking the child so far from home.

"Where's Amy?" He tried opening his eyes but he wasn't feeling it.

"Who's Amy?" That got his eyes open faster than he would have liked. The room was darker than he expected and the blurry image of his daughter came slowly into focus.

"Where's your Mama?"

"She's in the shower. She's been saying bad words all morning 'bout you and Uncle Charlie."

"I wish I knew what I did to deserver her callin' me names so early in the morning." He closed his eyes again.

"Cause you took Joey out last night and he's gettin' married in six hours to a nice girl and you gots him drunk off his ass so he won't be able to walk a straight line down the aisle." She took her father's face in his hands. "And you smell like a fu…"

"Faith Valentine you watch your mouth and get down to breakfast before I open a can a whoop ass on you too." Kenna's voice echoed in the room.

"See daddy, she's really mad at you."

"Wouldn't be the first time." Eliot opened his eyes again and looked around. The room seemed familiar. He heard the bathroom door open and thought if he fell back to sleep this dream would end. Who would have thought that he would be wishing himself back to a reality that put him in the middle of a Ukrainian prison?

"Eliot James Spencer you get your ass out of bed right now." By the sound of her voice he knew he should just do what he was told but this wasn't his Kenna. He felt the bed shift and he opened his eyes again. She was leaning over him, a towel wrapped around her, blond hair damp from her recent shower.

"I thought you liked my ass in your bed." He growled. She smiled the smile that was so sweet you wondered what she was up to.

"Darlin' I love your ass in my bed but we got a wedding to finish getting ready for and a whole house full of people downstairs." She leaned over and kissed him. "You were a very bad boy last night Sheriff." Eliot looked at the women in front of him. 'Sheriff'? What had happened in this reality?

"Kenna…" He brushed the damp hair from her face. His fingers brushed her cheek. Joey's wedding was today. In one of his bizzaro world dreams the baby Kenna had lost all those years ago had been born. She had named the boy after his father. In this world Joey had grown up with them by the looks of the photo's on the wall and every flat service. "Talk to me." He whispered, hoping by some chance she would understand.

"You took us with you that night." She curled herself in his arms and laid her head on his chest. "I know you didn't want to but Billy had gone insane and your mom was too weak to fight back. We put five hundred miles between us and them before that old pick up broke down for the last time." She smiled and ran her hand down his chest. "You taught me a lot of things in that pickup."

"Bet you still can change the oil in under ten minutes."

"Damn strait." He let his hand run up and down her back. This was the life he was suppose to have. No running away from home alone…no Aimee…no Beirut, Pakistan or Libya. No killing, no Moreau. No Nate, no Sophie, no Hardison or Parker.

"Tell me more." It was like he had done this before and she knew he needed to know that this was his life.

"You went to work on a ranch and I got a job the feed store. We got Jodie and me into school without a problem. You took night classes to graduate and well…when Joey came along we scraped by but we were happy." She sat up and crossed her legs and looked at him. "The choice to join the army was both of ours. You wanted to prove that horses and bulls were just a part of who you were, not everything."

"You've done this before." He stated. She smiled a small smile.

"When you came back from Afghanistan things got really bad. You would go for days without sleep and I always knew whatever happened to you there was gonna stay locked up in that bull head of yours. Then one day you got on that damn bull Jessup had in his back forty and he threw you right over the fence and onto that big old boulder. It was a good thing that Charlie and Jodi had been out riding or we wouldn't have found you till it was too late." She fidgeted with the towel around her. "You were in a coma for sixteen days. They told me that I should just pull the plug and wait."

"But you wouldn't do it." He knew that no matter what reality Kenna was in, she was a fighter.

"Day ten was the hardest. I found out I was pregnant with Faith. I never left your side after that except to shower and go to the bathroom. I laid next to you and told you about her. We had been trying for so long and no matter how discouraged I got, you told me to have faith. When you got back from that damn place it was me who had to tell you. When you opened your eyes you had lost most of our time together. The last thing you remembered was the night in the barn." Leaning over she reached into the bedside drawer and got a file. "I know you never wanted to do this yourself."

"What's this?"

"When you woke up, you asked for someone named Nate. I thought it was someone in your unit but after a few black outs due to the head trauma you kept asking for him and these people. Being the sheriff I guess you didn't want to abuse your power by looking them up." Eliot looked at Kenna. She looked so much like the Kenna he remembered from all those years ago but something was different. "Your mom has breakfast ready. We better get down there before they send Faith back up here." She leaned in and kissed him. He wanted to get lost in her kiss. Let the pain in his head and the pain in his heart be washed away by her touch but he knew that this Kenna wasn't the woman he loved.

"I'll meet you down there." She looked into his eyes.

"It will be alright Eliot. You just need to see that life, no matter how you live it or lived it, is all worth it." She got up and headed back to the bathroom. Closing his eyes he tried to get back to his Kenna and the danger that they were in.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"Dad?" The sound of a young man's voice woke Eliot up. "Dad?" He opened his eyes.

"Joe?"

"I'm getting married today, remember?" Eliot looked at the man in front of him. He was as much Kenna as Faith was him. Blond and about six foot, he saw a glimpse of Simon LaForce but he would never tell Kenna that. This one or his.

"Yeah, sorry."

"I should be the one that's sorry. I told Uncle Charlie that he should stop with the shots."

"I dug my own hole son." He sat up. The pounding in his head had lessened. "I'll get dressed."

"Your tux is in the closet. Grams saved you some banana pancakes but she said don't be long she doesn't know how long she can hold Faith off." Joey stood and looked at his dad. "Thank you dad."

"For what?"

"Being the kind of dad I want to be." The younger man left the room. Eliot swung his feet to the floor and ran his hands over his face. He wondered if he would be able to hold off throwing up long enough to see his son married.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"You look like hell son." Claire Spencer Callahan was a sight for his sore eyes. He went to her and hugged his mother. "Oh my, you did have a hard night, didn't ya?"

"Yeah, I kinda over did it." He looked at her. "You look good mom."

"As much as it pains me Eliot James…I love you too." She smiled and pinched his cheek. "Sit, have some breakfast."

"Where is everybody?"

"Down at the pond settin' up. The rain last night didn't help matters."

"Us getting hammered didn't either."

"You were better than that fool brother in law of yours. He came knocking at my door at three am, telling me he wanted Jodi to marry his fool ass again." Eliot chuckled. Charlie could never hold his liquor worth a darn. "You and Kenna got into it a little bit. How did that go for you?"

"I woke up in my own bed, so it must worked out." His mother set a plate of pancakes down in front of him.

"You and Kenna always work things out." She sat across from him. "Have I told you how very proud I am of the both of you? I know that Billy drove all three of you away but you came back." She touched his hand. "Thank you for letting me back into your life Eliot."

"I never wanted you out of my life mom…." He wanted to explain. Tell his mother he didn't blame her for what Billy had done to him but Jodi walked in just then.

"Kenna's looking for you down by the pound Eliot." He took one more bite of his pancake and stood.

"Thanks for breakfast mom." He kissed her on the cheek. "I love you." As he walked down to the pond her reminded himself that this wasn't his life. It was a dream that was so real he wasn't sure where it would end or if it would. Maybe he was dead. The Ukrainian's were kicking his ass and there was the gunshot just before he passed out. Rounding the corner he saw Kenna on the dock. His breath caught. She was a vision, the morning sun making her hair glisten. Stopping he watched her for a minute. This life wasn't so bad. He went up behind her and kissed the back of her neck.

"Hey stranger." Taking her in his arms he felt her tense. His Kenna never would have done that. His touch made her melt into him, even if she was pissed at him.

"Talk to me Kenna." She relaxed a little against him and took a deep breath.

"Is it sad to say I'm jealous of all of them?"

"Of who?"

"Your dream world friends. They not only consume you when you're sleeping, they haunt you when you're awake." She looked out over the water of the big pound. "She makes you happier than I ever have."

"The she you're referring to is you Kenna." He said. "Just a different version." He took a step back and she turned to look at him. "Either way Kenna I love you."

"You love her Eliot. She's not me. She's fearless and strong. I'm…I'm not." He reached to touch her face but she pulled back.

"Kenna…I'm not the man you think you know either but I know that when we met thirty years ago I met the girl I wanted to spend my life with. You." He didn't know what was going on with him. His dreams have had never been as vivid. His nightmares yes, but never his dreams.

"Even if we are the same you know I'm not the version you want." She went to turn away from him again but he grabbed her and turned her to look him in the eye.

"In that version I did some very bad things. Things the Sheriff of Winchester Kentucky would never do Kenna. Things I would never have done if I had never left you and Jodi behind." He loosened his grip on her arms. "And the version of you understood what hell I had been through and she had to be strong for the both of us." He let her go and went to the railing. Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes. "I love you Kenna Shane. In this life and every other one I've been thrust into since this all stared. "

"Others?" He turned and looked at her.

"Yeah. I was out riding one morning and my horse got spooked and bucked me off. I hit my head pretty hard and I woke up and I was married to Aimee."

"The horse trainers daughter from Tyler?"

"Yeah. In that version you were dead. Then there was the version you were in jail for killing LaForce and your mom. And the one where I died before Faith was born. Now I'm here. Granted this is the best here I've been to. They only thing missing is Kyle, Sarah, Chance and Nate and the others."

"Who's Kyle, Sarah and Chance?"

"Kyle is Jodi's son, Sarah is a girl we rescued from a grifter ring in Boston and Chance is our son."

"In that world you said Joey never was born."

"No. You lost him before you even knew you were pregnant." Kenna turned and looked up the hill to see her son helping with the finishing touches on the tables. She couldn't imagine life without her oldest child. His easy going nature and quick wit had gotten her through so much when Eliot was away.

"It's his day Eliot." She turned and looked at him. "Just let him have today."

"I wouldn't do that to him or you Kenna." He reached for her hand and held it. "This life is as perfect as it comes. I don't want to mess that up." She smiled and he pulled to him and kissed her. "Let's go marry off our son." Eliot knew the man he was here was just an act, a part he had to play. Soon his headache would return and he'd be back in the Ukraine in his real life but for now he would sit back and see how this one played out.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

The bride was beautiful. Kenna said Joey had met her in high school but they had lost touch when they headed to different collages. Last year they had come home and found each other again. Eliot was glad that in this life Joey was safe and happy.

"You look sad daddy." Faith crawled up on his lap.

"Sorry sweet pea, I was just thinking." He looked at the little girl, so much like the Faith of his life except his Faith had been raised by a group of thieves. Good thieves but thieves none the less.

"Are you happy about Joey and Mandie?"

"Yeah, they're gonna be happy and so am I."

"Good, cause I don't like when your grumpy daddy." He chuckled and hugged the little girl.

"I'll try not to be grumpy today Faith." The little girl kissed him and went running off with a bunch of other kids. Kenna sat next to him and smiled.

"She's a daddy's girl that's for sure." Eliot looked at his wife. "Is she in your other life?"

"Yeah, more then you want her to be. You were gone for awhile and she just kinda got attached to her old man."

"At least our kids have great parents." She moved and settled on his lap. "I don't want to lose you Eliot."

"I'm not going anywhere darlin'." He knew that was true. Even if he went back to his reality he knew that her Eliot would be back. The Eliot she loved since that fateful day thirty years ago. Joey came over to his parents.

"We're headed out." He pulled Mandie to him. "I want to thank you for this."

"No need to thank us son." Kenna stood up and hugged her son and new daughter in law. Eliot stood and did the same. "Take care you two. We'll see you in a week." Eliot knew that he would never see Joey again after tonight. His hug lasted a little longer than was necessary and the younger man seemed to understand.

"We'll be back pop." Joey said softy when Eliot finally let go. Swallowing hard he looked at his son. He memorized his face so he could tell his Kenna about the boy they had lost so many years ago. In this life he grew up strong and happy. She would be glad.

/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

The guest left slowly over the next hour or so. Eliot tried to remember all the names and faces of the people who shook his hand and wished him well today. Some he knew from back in the day and most he had seen for the first time today. He needed to go back to his Kenna. His life with Nate and Sophie fussing over them and keeping Hardison and Parker from messing up something or other.

"Hey cowboy, want to take a couple of tiered girls home." He looked up to see Kenna, holding a sleepy Faith. He nodded and took the child from her.

"She wore herself out."

"Between running with the Cravan boys and dancing I'm surprised she didn't pass out hours ago. She usually naps sometime during the day."

"Sleeps overrated." Kenna smiled.

"Says the man who would sleep all day if I let him." They walked in a comfortable silence up to the house. Jodi and Charlie were sitting on the porch.

"It was a beautiful day Kenna." Jodi said.

"Thanks." Eliot made his way past them, saying his goodnights and carried his daughter to her room. It wasn't anything like the one in his world. It was all horses and cowgirls. Parker would die before she stepped foot in this room. Taking off Faith's boots he covered her up and kissed her forehead. He hopped the Eliot of this world sang to her and made sure she ate her vegetables.

"Night angel." He kissed her forehead.

"Night Daddy." She said as she rolled on her side and fell back to sleep." He left her door open and headed to the room he shared with his wife. No matter what reality he was in, Kenna was his wife when it mattered most.

"Did she fight going down?" Kenna was standing by the bed.

"Naw…she just rolled over and fell back to sleep."

"She gets that from you." She smiled. "Tell me about the Faith in your dream." She sat on the bed and crossed her legs in front of her. He looked at the woman in front of him.

"She climbs things like a monkey and can charm the skin of a snake. Her heart is as big as mountain and she can fight like a minx when she thinks she's right."

"She sounds like she's a strong little girl."

"She's a lot like her mom."

"I'm not her Eliot. I can't be her."

"I don't want you to be anyone but yourself darlin'." He undid the buttons on his vest and threw it over the chair. "I just want you to be who you are." He turned and looked at the woman who so resembled his wife. "Be the Kenna you've always been."

"I kinda like this you." She smiled. "I mean don't get me wrong, I love my Eliot but there's something about this you." Shaking her head she leaned back. "I'm talking like there's really another you and me in some alternate universe." Eliot watched way too much of Hardison sy-fy shit if he believed that too but damn, what other explanation did he have to fall back on? "Come Monday morning Eliot, you need to see some sort of doctor to get whatever it is checked out." He smiled and finished getting undressed. Sliding under the covers he pulled Kenna to him.

"Tomorrow your Eliot will be back and hopefully you never have to deal with any of this shit ever again." She ran her hand down his chest.

"Would you feel like it was cheating if…you know…we…"

"Kenna Shane Hawks Spencer are you askin if it's okay to fool around?" He leaned down and kissed her. Her lips were the same. Her body was as close to his Kenna's as you could get and he craved to feel something other than utter confusion and helplessness. She clung to him in desperation and it seemed this version of his wife wasn't the minx his had become. He moved his hand down her body to her hip and pulled her closer to him so she could feel what she was doing to him. The moan that came from her lips made him harder and the blood rushed through him like a freight train.

"Eliot?" He opened his eyes and looked at the woman next to him. The desire in her eyes was almost his undoing.

"Yeah, darlin'?"

"Please love me." She pressed herself closer to him and he kissed her again, deeper and harder, pressing her against the mattress his hands tore at her panties, needing to get inside her. She was hesitant and almost shy when she moved her body against him. It was almost like the first time. "ELIOT!" Her voice echoed through his head as he plunged into her. "ELIOT PLEASE!" He closed his eyes to the on slot of pain that echoed through his head. "Damn it, Eliot please wake up." He opened his eyes. The light was dim and when he moved he felt his hands were bound.

"Kenna?" His voice was horse from lack of recent use.

"We're all okay. Hunter got away. He's finding a way in now." He could see Nate and Sophie tied back to back across the room.

"What…my head…"

"A guard hit you from behind…Hunter tried to shoot them but his gun jammed and he had to pull back." He felt Kenna behind him. Her hands touching his. He was still rock hard from his trip to dream land and found it hard to focus on anything, let alone an escape. Taking a deep breath he thought of anything, anything other than his wife's naked body.

"Eliot, are you okay?"

"I took a little trip." He said softy.

"I figured."

"How long was I out?"

"About twenty minutes." She leaned back. "What happened?"

"Our son got married." Closing his eyes, he knew he should stop shut up but he couldn't help himself.

"Joey?"

"Yeah. He looks so much like you."

"When we get home your gonna tell me everything Eliot. Every dream, every black out and every damn second your mind takes you away from me. Then we're gonna see a doctor and find out what the hell is going on."

"That's what she said." He whispered.

"Who?"

"You, the you in my dream."

"Well good, I like her already."

"Are you two done with your chit chatting or should we just let them put us in front of a firing squad?" Nate said from his spot in the opposite corner of the room.

"Now what kind of rescue would that be if we let that happen?" Hunter came through the airvent.

"Better late than never Sinclair." Kenna smiled.

"Always the smart ass Hawks. Always the smart ass." He flipped out his knife and cut the ropes that bound the Spencer's. "The kids are safe. Hardison and Parker took them out though the west wing."

"I told them to stay put." Eliot stood, trying to get his barrings.

"Yeah well when was the last time those two listened to anyone?" Kenna stood and went to untie Nate and Sophie. "How are you two holding up?"

"Better now that all of us are safe." Nate looked at his Hitter's wife. "Thank you for coming for us." She smiled.

"Couldn't have stopped her if we wanted to." Eliot said. They five of them headed out the way Hunter had came. Taking a deep breath the hitter hoped the next few days got them out of this hell and back safely back home and his dreams would be over. He needed Kenna and the rest of this reality to stay with him. His sanity depended on it.


	12. Chapter 12

Fall Into Darkness

All My Tomorrows

Boston in the summer was something to behold. Kenna looked out at the city for the first time since she had been home from her long, depressing time with Moreau. She had missed a lot in her time away. Mostly Eliot and Faith but now, enjoying the sunset, she knew she missed her home here in Boston too. She didn't have to hear him to know Eliot was close. The crisp scent that was a little cowboy, a little rebel and all man gave him away. Most people wouldn't have noticed the change in the air. Her body had long ago stopped fighting the heat that flowed through her veins when he was close.

"You missed Faith's musical number with Nate." His breath was warm on her neck and smelled for whisky.

"I needed some air." Closing her eyes, Kenna let her senses take over. The sound of his smoky voice in her ear, the feel of his warm breath on the back of her neck, the smell of Jack Daniel's and a hint of Tim McGraw's Silver cologne. He didn't touch her. His hands were on either side of hers, grasping the railing she was leaning on. His lips ever so close to her ear.

"I can't live without you Kenna Shane and its killing me." She closed his eyes. "Every time you leave my sight my gut clenches tight and my head goes places it shouldn't go."

"I'm sorry." Kenna whispered.

"You don't ever have to be sorry for making me feel again Kenna. I was so cold for so long and you came back and warmed my soul."

"I think Nate and the others started the process." She felt his body press against her back.

"Nate and the others don't make this happen when they walk into the room." Her breath caught and her blood started to run hot.

"Eliot…" Her voice was horse and full of desire.

"We need to figure out what the hell is going on in my head before I get lost and can't get back to you." His growl excited more than it should, knowing that she had such an effect on him made her even hotter. "I need you so God damn bad Kenna Shane." He whipped her around and had her face in his hands and her back against the railing. His kiss was rough and desperate and oh so mind blowing. Kenna clung to the railing and let him deepen the kiss and press hard against her. He was feeling helpless and desperate and she knew how he felt. Seven months away from him and her family made her know desperation like she had never felt before.

"Eliot…ahh…" His hand slid between her waistband and her skin, popping the button of her jeans.

"I can stop." He leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"No cowboy, when you get like this there is no stopping you." His two day beard rubbed against her cheek and his hands tugged her pants down ever so slowly. The feel of his lips on her neck was nearly her undoing as she ran her hands down his back and into the back pocket of his jeans, pulling him closer. His hardness dug into her fueling her need for him. Blood pounded though her veins as he kissed her made any coherent thought impossible. She was left breathless when in one fluid motion her husband unsnapped his jeans and was inside of her. "ELIOT!" Her voice echoed off the building that surrounded them. It had been a long time since he had taken her with such abandonment. He had been so careful with her since her return and for the first time since he brought her home did she feel like her old Eliot was back.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"You know as well as I do you can't lose yourself in a bottle." Nate stood next to Eliot, who was contemplating the bottle of Jack in front of him.

"I've been lost enough the past few weeks." The hitter looked at his friend. "I need to pass out and not have these fucked up dreams Nate."

"You've had nightmare's before."

"Not like these. My life is not my life and it's so damn real." Eliot poured himself two fingers of the brown liquid and tossed it down before Nate could answer him. "It's killin' me Nate." The older man looked at his friend.

"I'm the last one to tell you to see someone but…Eliot you have more than yourself and this team to think about. You have a family. Kenna and the kids need you more than ever."

"I'm no good to anyone right now." Nate sat next to him.

"Do you remember the man I was that first year we started all this?"

"You were a functioning alcoholic with a God complex." Eliot tried not to smile.

"I was an ass hole. I treated you and everyone else like crap."

"You'd just lost your son, Nate. Your marriage was in the toilet and you got screwed by Dubenich all leading to you becoming a criminal. I say that warrants being a little bit of an ass hole." Nate chuckled.

"Yeah, well I had no right taking my person problems out on the four people who befriended me in that time. I screwed up. Those first few years I was in hole so deep not even Parker's best climbing gear could pull me out." Nate looked at Sophie who was sitting at a table with Parker and Hardison talking. "I nearly lost the one thing that was keeping me sane Eliot. I pushed people away. People who wanted to help me. I pushed Sophie right out of the country."

"She came back."

"Yeah, she came back only to watch me be arrested and having to break me out of jail." Nate looked back at Eliot. "Don't push her away. Don't hold back because you're afraid she might not understand because I have found that women…the women who love men like us have no tolerance for bull shit and they have really big shoulders to help I carry our problems. Let her help. Kenna can't lose the one thing she's been fighting for all her life."

"A loosing battle if you ask me." Eliot looked into his empty glass.

"Eliot…if there is one thing I learned over the years is a fighting for someone you care about is never a loosing battle." Nate stood. "Talk to her. Tell her what she needs to hear." The older man left and Eliot reached for the bottle and stopped. Taking a twenty out of his pocked he slid it under the bottle and headed upstairs.

/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

He found her curled up on the window seat wrapped in a blanket nursing their son. Eliot knew there was something warped about the way the sight of her with his children to her breasts made him feel but he couldn't help himself. She hadn't heard him or she would have wiped the tears that were falling from her cheeks to hide her sadness. It had been a long time since he was able to see her this vulnerable.

"McKenna?" His voice was hoarser than usual. She looked up, wiping her tears and trying to hide the fact she had been shedding them.

"I didn't hear you come in."

"You okay?" He knew she wasn't. She couldn't look him in the eye. She looked down at Chance instead.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"The hell you are." He went to sit on the bed across from her. Gently he ran his hand down his sons blond fuzz covered head. "Talk to me darlin'." She looked up at him and he knew that she was hurting bad.

"Earlier on the roof…I had my Eliot back. The strong, vibrant, head strong, sexy boy I fell in love with when I was just a kid. He made me feel like my world was right side up again."

"Kenna…"

"I want him back Eliot. I want the man who made me want to have a family. The man who promised me he would be there for me no matter what. Where is he? Where the hell did he go?" She felt her son stir. Taking a deep breath she uncurled herself from her seat and stood, taking a still sleeping Chance into his room. She kissed his head and tucked him in trying to find the composure she needed to face Eliot once more. Taking a deep breath she went out into the living room but he was gone. She heard is voice coming from Faith's room. Walking over to the door she listened.

"Are we going on vacation daddy?" The little girl was in her hippo bed, surrounded by more hippos and Eliot didn't look the least bit out of place.

"I don't know baby. I have to talk to your mama about it."

"I just wanna stay home, with Uncle Nate and the rest of the family." She touched his cheek. "You didn't shave today."

"I guess I haven't gotten around to it."

"Mama likes your whiskers." The girl looked serious, her blue eyes as piercing as his.

"You think so?" He looked up to see the topic of their conversation standing in the door way.

"Yep, she likes everything about you." The girl exaggerated 'everything' as she said it.

"She does?"

"Yep…that why she married you. Cause you're her everything." The girl snuggled into her blankets. "Is she your everything daddy?" Faith said, holding back a yawn.

"Yeah, baby. She's my everything." He kissed the girl on the top of the head and tucked her in. Standing, he went to the door and stood in front of Kenna. "I don't want to fight."

"Fighting's what we do best Eliot." Smiling she touched his cheek. "We fight so we can have mind blowing make up sex. I made an appointment with the best neurologist in Boston for tomorrow. We will find whatever it is that's taking you away from us Eliot." He looked into her brown eyes. Eyes that always gave him comfort when he needed it the most.

"I wasn't lying when I told Faith you're my everything."

"I know. You know that your mine too, right?" He knew, but it was good to hear. Pulling her into his arms he hugged her close. "How did you get an appointment with the best neurologist in Boston on such short notice?"

"Knowing the best hacker in the world helps." He chuckled. "And I was a pretty kick ass paramedic and I do have some connections."

"I believe you." They walked into Chance's room and tucked the little boy in and kissed him goodnight. The couple walked up the stairs quietly. Kenna pulled Eliot in their room and closed the door.

"I understand if you want to stay up until your appointment tomorrow but you're looking putting rough Spencer." She touched his cheek.

"I can sleep if your next to me Kenna." He went to the bed and pulled her down with him. "Just hold on to me and don't let go." He whispered in her ear. It had been a long couple of days. Hell it had been a long year. Nate and Sophie needed to get things together after loosing another chance at a child and Hardison and Parker we're stressed about things he didn't care to imagine and he had his own issues. Sleep would come and he may get lost in whatever dream world sucked him in but Kenna would be there to pull him back to her. Feeling her hands stroke his back he shifted and made both of them as comfortable as he could without breaking contact.

"Sweet dreams Eliot." Kenna whispered as she felt his hands clench her shirt, holding on for dear life. "It's all gonna be alright, I promise."

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"Eliot?" Kenna sat next to him in the quiet office. He held on to her hand like it was the only thing keeping him from leaving her again.

"How long does it take to look at a few pictures?" His leg started twitching.

"Eliot, just relax. You made it through last night without waking up someplace else so we're already off to a great start to the day." He looked at his wife and rolled his eyes.

"When the hell did you become the optimistic one?"

"Since Parker decided to become more cynical than she already was." The door opened an a man in his early fifties came in.

"Sorry to keep you waiting Mr. and Mrs. Spencer." He sat at his desk. "It's been a long day and its only nine." The older man looked down at the file in front of him.

"We understand, my husband is just very concerned about his black outs." Kenna felt Eliot's grip tighten on her hand. A weaker woman would have yelped in pain.

"I don't blame either of you for your concern. I see you've seen your share of blows to the head in the past, Mr. Spencer." Eliot nodded, too nervous to talk.

"My husband has been a fighter most of his adult life. After getting out of the Army is he just fell into it."

"Well your MRI shows some past fractures that have healed and your CT found an intracranial hemorrhage. It's causing some pressure on your brain. It could be causing your loss of time and vivid dreams." The doctor took a deep breath. "I want to do surgery as soon as possible. I have an OR booked for tomorrow morning."

"To…tomorrow." The grip on Kenna's hand tightened. This time she pulled back. "Sorry." He said, loosening his grip.

"I know it seems like we're rushing it but Mr. Spencer, but we need to move quickly before anymore damage can occur."

"I…" Eliot Spencer wasn't a man who minced words but he didn't want Kenna to worry about him anymore than she already was.

"Mr. Spencer, I have done this same surgery at least a hundred times and I am confident that we can repair this and recover a hundred percent."

"You're positive you can fix this?" Eliot looked at Kenna, who was close to tears. Neither of them thought in terms of something really being wrong with him, let alone needing surgery.

"I will be able to fix it. A couple of days in the hospital and you'll be as good as new."

"Okay." He swallowed hard.

"Relax today and we'll see you bright and early in the morning." The doctor said as he stood. Shaking both their hands he said his goodbyes and left. Eliot sat staring at his boots.

"Eliot?"

"I've imagined dying a hundred times in a million different ways…I guess I wasn't…I never…"

"Your not going to die Eliot. You heard the doctor. He's going to make you as good as new."

"Kenna…"

"Stop it right now." She stood and grabbed her coat. "I did not suffer for seven months with Moreau and his minions, gave birth to your son by myself, and get nearly blown up just for you to give up and die on me Eliot James Spencer." Kenna walked out the door, leaving him standing alone in the office.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"You left him alone…at the doctors…less then twenty-four hours before he's to have major brain surgery?" Nate stood behind the bar and looked at the blond woman in front of him.

"He pissed me off." Kenna looked at the older man.

"He does that daily but you've never just left him someplace and come home." He leaned against the back wall and crossed his arms. "Kenna…"

"It's a mile and a half, he knows the way home Nate. I just couldn't listen to him give up." She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I wasn't giving up Kenna." Eliot stood behind her. She turned and looked at him. "I just couldn't find the words to tell you…I'm scared." Nate took it as his cue to leave. "I don't want to die."

"Then why did you make it sound like you are?"

"Because I've never been so damn scared in all my life and I couldn't tell you because…I didn't want you to know how scared I was..am." Kenna hugged him tight.

"Believe or not Eliot, I know your human and fear is one of those human emotions that come up now and then."

"It's not something I do often or well." Kenna took his face in her hands and looked him in the eye.

"We depend on you to have our backs. It's time to let us have yours." She kissed him softly. "Let us carry the weight of the world for a few weeks."

"Let us take care of you for once." Parker came from some place behind him. Nate and Sophie came from the back room along with Hardison.

"We'll do the heavy lifting for awhile." Nate said. "You just get yourself well."

"We'll all be here for you and your family." Sophie smiled. "Like you've always been there for us."

"When you heal, you can go back to kicking ass and takin' names." Hardison smiled. "Till then we got your back brother." He had known that his friends would always be there for him. They would take care of his family if he couldn't.

"Well with that said, let's go upstairs and I'll cook for you guys one last meal before you have to wait on me for a few weeks." He hugged his wife one last time, took her hand and they headed upstairs.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

After a great dinner with good friends and lots of talk of jobs past Kenna and Eliot put the kids to sleep and headed up to the quiet comfort of their room. Eliot watched his wife as she went through her nightly routine as if tonight was any other night. He sat on the end of the bed and took off his boots, socks, and slid off his shirt and jeans. When he turned back from putting them in the hamper Kenna was in front of him.

"It's going to be okay Eliot, I promise."

"I know you're a great medic and one hell of a nurse Kenna Shane but your no physic." He ran his thumb down her jaw. "But I think your right. It's gonna be okay. I have too much to do in this life." Her smile had always warmed his heart. She leaned in and kissed him.

"It will be alright Eliot." She pushed him back on the bed and crawled next to him. "You my dear husband are stuck with me for a very, very long time."

"I think I can handle that." He pulled her as close as he could and closed his eyes. "One more night." He whispered before he fell asleep.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"So this is goodbye." Eliot looked up. Grown up Joey stood on the dock in front of him.

"I guess so." He looked out at the water.

"Mom's gonna miss you. She was kinda getting used to having you around."

"She has you here."

"It's not the same. She'll tell you it's okay to let us go but she will take forever to get over it. Kinda like the mom you know did getting over loosing me." Eliot looked at the young man standing next to him. He was so much like his mother. "But she needs you. She won't tell you that she wanted to kill herself when they took her away from you and Faith. That the morning sickness kept her from doing it. She also won't tell you that if you hadn't found her when you did she was going to run. If she had run, she and Chance would have been killed. You saved her and yourself more times than even you know. You've always been her hero dad, don't ever forget that." The light got brighter. "Don't ever stop being that man." He was alone then, on the dock. The light was dimming. He felt hands on his face.

"Eliot?" Kenna's voice was soft.

"DADDY!" Faith's was not. "Wake up daddy…the doctor says your all better now." Slowly he opened one eye. His daughters cobalt blue ones stared back at him. "He's waking up mama"

"Faith Valentine Spencer your father just had brain surgery, yelling at him isn't an option." Kenna picked up the child and put her on the floor.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Williams said we could see you and she bolted out of Parker's arms." She sat next to him. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, I think." He reached for her hand. "I love you Kenna Shane."

"I love you too, Eliot."

"The darkness is gone." He reached and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

"Good."

"I'm gonna miss talking to Joey." He was still a little groggy.

"I know." She said softly. He closed his eyes again.

"He looked so much like you." Eliot drifted back to sleep. This time he wasn't scared that he wouldn't wake up with the Kenna he knew and loved. His family would be back to normal. His team would be back to normal and he hoped his dreams would be back to normal. Kenna kissed his forehead.

"He'll be waiting for us when we get there, till then we keep his memory with us." She stood and lifted up her daughter. "Say goodnight to daddy baby."

"Night daddy." Faith whispered. "Sweet dreams." Kenna smiled and headed to find the rest of the family to tell them everything was going to be okay.

The End!

Sorry it took so long to get these last chapters in...I lost the rewrites somewhere and hoped I fixed everything but I might of missed a grammer error or six. Thanks to everyone who reads and corrects my stories...you know who you are. I hope to start writing again soon!


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